Mandaue TEAM cracks down on ‘cloned’ jeepney license plates
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — The Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) has intensified its operations against public utility vehicles (PUVs) using cloned or duplicate license plates.
TEAM Head Hyll Retuya said the agency received reports from some jeepney operators regarding vehicles allegedly operating with the same license plate numbers despite having different units.
The reports were supported by photos, prompting TEAM to conduct surveillance and enforcement operations that have been ongoing for about two weeks.
During the operation, three units were apprehended and are currently held at TEAM’s impounding area.
Retuya said the drivers were issued Temporary Operator’s Permits (TOPs), while the cases were also forwarded to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for further action.
Most of the apprehended vehicles were traditional jeepneys operating along routes in Compostela and Liloan. Retuya said the violations were discovered after the vehicles’ documents, chassis numbers, and engine numbers did not match the license plates being used.
Issue with cloned plates
Retuya said the use of cloned plates may be linked to operators attempting to continue operating without proper authority or franchise. He explained that public utility vehicles must secure the necessary franchise, special permit, or provisional authority before being allowed to operate on the road; otherwise, they may be considered colorum vehicles.
The TEAM chief said it is difficult to immediately determine which vehicle carries the original plate when multiple units use the same plate number.
However, he said the burden of proving the legitimacy of the vehicle and documents lies with the operators, especially when records do not match.
He added that TEAM is coordinating with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and LTFRB in addressing the issue. The agency is also monitoring for possible additional cases, as personnel have been instructed to flag down vehicles with suspicious or duplicate license plates.
“This is a fraudulent scheme. Pagpanikas man ni. Kay ngano man diay og mokuha nalang gyud og tinuod nga prangkisa dili lang ta manglimbong gud? For what reason nga manglimbong ka? So meaning naa gyud kay dautan nga motibo,” said Retuya.
[This is a fraudulent scheme. It is an act of deception. Why not just secure a legitimate franchise instead of resorting to cheating? What is the reason for your deception? That only means you have an ulterior motive.).///
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.