MANILA, Feb. 8 (PNA) — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has issued preventive suspension orders to halt the operations of a total 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 a fatal road accident recently.
It was the most number of Public Utility Buses (PUBs) ever suspended by the LTFRB.
The accident happened at around 8:00 a.m. on Friday when a G.V. Florida bus with plate number TXT-872 fell into a ravine in Talubin, Bontoc, Mt. Province. The incident resulted in the death of 14 people and injuries to 31 others.
A Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) office report showed that while the bus had a G.V. Florida body marking, its plate number was assigned to another bus company, the Mt. Province Cable Tours owned by Norberto Que Sr.
According to LTFRB’s Information Systems Management Division (ISMD), the plate number TXT-872 belongs to Mt. Province Cable Tours. No application for approval of sale and transfer has been filed by Que Sr. in favor of G.V. Florida.
A further check also showed that the chassis and engine numbers of the G.V. Florida bus were tampered and not registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO.) The bus was not authorized to operate as a for-hire vehicle.
LTFRB chairman Atty. Winston M. Ginez said: “What the bus company committed is blatant multiple violations that we cannot just tolerate because it puts people’s life in danger.”
“There are enough merits to immediately recall the whole fleet of G.V. Florida and Mt. Province Cable Tours and temporary suspend their operations until we verify the permits of their respective units,” added Ginez.
All the buses of G.V. Florida have been ordered by the Board grounded in their Sampaloc, Manila terminal, and MT Province Cable Tours units in their Cubao, Quezon City garage.
LTFRB personnel have started confiscating all the yellow for-hire plates of these buses since Saturday, Feb. 9, 2014, and will continue until all the plates of the 238 units are confiscated.
G.V. Florida has 228 units under its franchise while Mt. Province Cable Tours has 10 units.
Pursuant to Executive Order 202, Section 5 (b), LTFRB is empowered to issue, amend, revise, suspend or cancel Certificates of Public Convenience or permits, if bus operators are found violating rules and regulations as stipulated in their CPCs.
The two companies are given 72 hours from the receipt of the Order to submit a Show Cause explaining why their CPCs should not be suspended/cancelled/revoked in view of the Board’s findings. They are also ordered to appear before the Board on Feb. 19, 2014 for the public hearing of the case.
Failure of the two companies to appear on the scheduled date of hearing will be considered as a waver on their part and the Board will decide on the merits of the case based on their franchise records.
“Patuloy naming lilinisin ang ating lansangan ng mga pampasaherong sasakyan na walang tamang permiso para pumasada upang masiguro ang kaligtasan ng mga mananakay natin. (We will continue to clean up our roads of public utility vehicles that have no permission to ply routes for the safety of the riding public) ,” Ginez said.
Ginez added that he will be leading a team Sunday morning (February 8) to visit the two terminals of G.V. Florida Transport Inc. located in Cubao, Quezon City and Sampaloc, Manila to confiscate the yellow vehicle plates and stenciling of the chassis of all their buses as part of their full investigation of the case.
Last month, the Board revoked and cancelled the Certificates of Public Convenience (CPCs) of Don Mariano Transit Corporation’s 78 units for its failure to comply with the terms and condition of its permit and negligence in providing the safe and proper transport service to the riding public.
One of the units of Don Mariano figured in a road accident on Dec. 13, 2013 along the Alabang Skyway which killed 21 passengers and injured 24 others. (source:Philippine News Agency)
