MANILA, Philippines (ENS) — President Aquino has called a meeting of all relevant government agencies about public road safety as he expressed alarm about the recent spate of fatal road accidents that involved passenger buses, Malacanang said Monday, February 10.
The President was particularly “very concerned” and saddened with the most recent accident involving a G.V. Florida bus that fell into a ravine in Bontoc, Mountain Province killing 14 passengers, one of whom was actor-comedian Arvin “Tado” Jimenez, said Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a press briefing in Malacanang Monday.
At least two foreign nationals –a Dutch and a Canadian – were also among the fatalities.
“The President is concerned about this latest incident. He will be calling for a meeting of all the relevant government agencies with respect to road safety, and also with respect to our public transport,” Lacierda said.
The accident happened despite warnings earlier made by the President for all bus operators to ensure the road worthiness of their passenger buses. He had also earlier asked them to make sure that safety measures would be put in place by the bus companies.
The accident in Bontoc came less than two months after a Don Mariano Transit bus fell of the southbound lane of the Metro Manila Skyway. It fell onto a van plying the West Service Road of the South Luzon Expressway killing 18 people.
Another road mishap, this time involving a passenger jeepney in Abra, happened after a day after the Bontoc accident killing five people and injuring 33 others.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has already issued preventive suspension orders to halt the operations of 238 buses of G.V. Florida Transport Inc., and Mt. Province Cable Tours due to multiple violations committed by the two bus companies, including the fatal road accident in Bontoc, Mountain Province.
Malacanang seemed to have favored this move by LTFRB, saying its chair Winston Ginez had taken a “proactive stance with respect to road safety.”
“I think this is the first time where you saw the entire fleet of a bus transportation canceled…. We have no problem with the performance of Chairman Ginez,” Lacierda said.
The LTFRB has already cancelled the franchise of Don Mariano Transit Corp., after it allegedly failed to follow the conditions of its permit. Another reason cited was its failure to ensure the safety of its operations.
But the Palace said that revoking a franchise of a transportation company is already a “very severe penalty.”
“In addition to legal, judicial actions that may be taken by the aggrieved parties, insofar as the government is concerned, you hit them where it hurts most to them insofar as profitability is concerned. We take out their franchise, they are not able to operate, and that’s the very severe penalty on the bus franchises,” Lacierda said.
(Eagle News Service)