The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has ordered provincial bus operators to install Global Positioning System devices on their bus units by April 30.
“The LTFRB’s main aim is to protect the safety of the riding public by regulating the speed limit of buses traversing our national roads and highways. With the use of the latest and innovative technology, we believe we can modernize our transpsaort system and provide the commuters with reliable, convenient, and safe transportation services,” LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez said.
The installation of GPS devices on PUBs is a measure being taken by the government to minimize road risk, as the device can help the LTFRB check if a bus is within the speed limit and on its proper route based on the approved franchise.
As mandated by LTFRB Memorandum Circular Nos. 2015-021 and 2015-026, all bus operators are required to install and register GPS devices on their units on or before April 30 for provincial buses entering Metro Manila; May 1 to Aug. 30 for Metro Manila buses; Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 for inter-regional buses not entering Metro Manila and Jan. 1 to April 30, 2017 for intra-regional buses.
The LTFRB has already informed bus transport associations, such as the Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines and Southern Luzon Bus Operators Association, of the initial list of up-to-spec GPS devices.
Bus operators who fail to install GPS devices will be penalized P5,000 per unit. After the 30-day grace period from the end of the compliance period, an additional penalty of P1,000 per unit per month will be imposed.
The LTFRB will also penalize operators or drivers found tampering with the devices: P5,000 for the first offense; P10,000 for the second offense; and P15,000 and the suspension of their certificate of public convenience for 30 days for the third and subsequent offenses.
Meanwhile, LTFRB issued a show cause order penalizing an Uber driver found to be operating an illegal private unit and threatening the life of a passenger using a metal pipe.
The Order was issued due the complaint posted by Christine Fulgencio in social media against the Uber driver identified as Nicolo Lizaso, where the complainant said that the driver threw a fit of anger, cussed and threatened to hit her with a metal pipe while inside their private village in Pasig City.
The driver, according to the complainant, after threatening her drove away, almost ran over the village security guards in the main entrance gate of Valle Verde 6, leaving his drivers’ license in the process.
In compliance with the Show Cause Order, Uber Systems Inc., admitted that after receiving the complaint from Fulgencio, the transport network company suspended Lizaso’s account to prevent him from accepting passengers online via Uber application.
