LTFRB reviews franchises of accident-prone buses

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is consolidating the list of bus companies whose units repeatedly figure in road accidents.

Lawyer Manuel Iway, LTFRB board member, yesterday said they are ready to submit the list to President Aquino if he will ask for it. Malacañang earlier called for a review of the franchises of bus firms after a Dimple Star Transport bus fell from the Skyway ramp in Sucat, Parañaque. The accident killed the bus driver and two passengers.

Iway, however, clarified that the move to “compile” the names of companies involved in road accidents was not prompted by Tuesday’s bus mishap. He said records are being collected since the start of the year.

He said the board could not unilaterally revoke the franchise of a certain bus firm over an accident without a hearing but three consecutive road mishaps would indicate that a bus operator’s units and drivers could already be considered as “recidivist.”

As standard procedure, the LTFRB suspends a bus firm’s franchise immediately after it figured in an accident. The suspension is for one month and preventive in nature as the board conducts hearings on the case to determine if an ultimate sanction should be imposed on the firm. The operator is also told to explain in writing why the franchise should not be cancelled.

The board served the one-month preventive suspension on Dimple Star Transport yesterday. It is set to conduct a public hearing next week.