The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Much have been said about the sad state of our public utility buses and the dangers they pose to the lives of the riding public. However, it appears government is not doing anything to ensure the safety of commuters.
Last week, another deadly bus accident occurred when a LeoMarick Trans bus traveling from Ilagan, Isabela to Candon, Ilocos Sur, fell into a 100-foot ravine in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija.
As we write this column, at least 35 people were confirmed dead including a one-year-old child. According to police reports, the driver lost control of the bus when the right front wheel burst, which led to the bus falling into the ravine.
Last Tuesday’s grim incident was an accident waiting to happen. And incidents such as these keep happening, again and again. We do not know why.
We are also confused which government agency is primarily responsible for the safety of our riding public? Is it the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO) or their mother agency, the Department of Transportation (DOTr)?
We are afraid this alphabet soup of government agencies will only lead to finger pointing and blame-throwing. Who really is in charge? Who is tasked to enforce the law?
The investigation that followed cast a glaring light on the disgustingly reactive nature of our government regulatory agencies:
The LTFRB is looking at possible overloading, as the bus only had a seating capacity for 45 passengers but the local police estimate 77 people were on the bus.
The LTFRB said it will also look into the age and the chassis of the bus which was registered in 2006, as well as other factors which led to the accident.
The LTFRB said the road is an accident-prone area, where at least five road crashes have been recorded in recent years. It noted there were no signs indicating the area was accident-prone despite these crashes. What is the Department of Public Works and Highways doing?
LTFRB will also look into the background of LeoMarick to see if any of its buses have previously been involved in an accident.
LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra, an appointee of President Duterte, immediately issued a 30-day preventive suspension order against the bus operator to prevent another bus from traveling.
We support this move. But we are afraid this will not be enough to appease an enraged public hungry for blood. We strongly urge the cancellation of the bus franchise to show that government is serious in ensuring the welfare of commuters.
We are also extremely troubled by LTFRB’s seeming tendency to wait for a major accident to happen before it takes preemptive action against erring bus lines.
We strongly suggest the strict enforcement of the rules and regulations to monitor the status of buses to ensure the safety of passengers. Delgra should see to it that the buses have complete requirements and permits before being cleared to ferry passengers.
For instance, is the LTFRB strict about requiring every bus to periodically report to them every six months or so? Does it send random inspection teams to bus terminals? Why not impose heftier fines to those found in violation of existing regulations?
LTFRB should also be more judicious in granting franchises to buses, taxicabs, jeepneys and vans. Operations against colorum public vehicles should also be strengthened. Quite a number of these colorum vehicles are being driven by active police and military personnel
A controversial proposal perhaps, but one that bears considering. For every public utility vehicle registered, there should be one put to rest. Maybe there should be a quota of some kind?
Delgra should also subject bus and all public utility drivers to periodic drug testing.
Road accidents leading to the loss of lives cannot keep happening over and over again. One life lost is one life too many. These victims have families who will suffer from severe economic dislocation upon the demise of their breadwinner.
This tragic accident adds to the long litany of sins committed by the agencies under the DOTr and it cannot go on simply coasting along. The Duterte administration still has over five years to implement various programs to ensure the safety of the riding public.
Government has to show it is not merely paying lip service every time officials of the DOTr, LTO and LTFRB are interviewed on TV and on the radio. Those who are found guilty of violations should suffer the full force of the law, especially if their transgressions result in the loss of life.
we cannot put the blame on the operator of the bus company.had the ltfrb implemented phasing out 15 years old and above puv’s the tragic accident in nueva ecija woudn’t have happened.lots of mini buses assembled uses surplus engines in their units.and these buses were only assembled in a small shops without quality control.bus operators can renew franchises without taking their unit to ltfrb nor any ltfrb staff inspects units if still roadworthy.when accidents like this happen, it is the only time ltfrb people checks the roadworthiness of the buses of the involved company.ltfrb is a regulating body, why they have issued and renew franchises to old buses.they have all means to verify the age of engines chassis of its units.again, the highway was overflowing with secondhand buses from korea, for how many years they were used abroad, how come that they are only counting the years when the bus was registered here in philippines.hope this government agency will not just sleep on their job.