CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) said Wednesday mechanisms have already been put in preparation for the influx of passengers in time for the observance of the All Saints Day and All Souls Day this weekend.
To prevent any untoward incident while buses are ferrying passengers to their destinations, LTFRB-10 Regional Director Aminoden Guro said they have reminded bus companies to augment the deployment of their safety officers.
“Aside from security guards, bus companies must see to it that there are enough safety officers to check the buses before traveling,” Guro said.
The deployment of safety officers was part of the Department of Transportation’s program, under the Office of Transport Security (OTS), to see to the safety of the commuting public, he said.
These safety officers, he said, have been oriented by the OTS on how to respond, for example, in case they found a bomb inside the bus.
He added that LTFRB-10 personnel are also checking buses if they are installed with closed-circuit television cameras, dashboard cameras, global positioning system, and wireless internet connection.
The agency has also checked the road worthiness of the buses, he said, adding that the LTFRB-10 has reminded operators to replace worn-out tires, to fix any mechanical problems, and to assign extra drivers for fleets that ply long-distance routes.
Bus operators have been required by the transportation department to install these facilities in compliance with the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines.
Guro said two bus companies – Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. and Super Five Bus Transport Inc. – have requested the LTFRB-10 for the issuance of special permits for their fleet to ply outside their authorized routes due to passenger demand.
“We issued more than 60 special permits to RTMI and Super 5,” he said. The LTFRB-10 also set up public help desks within the two bus terminals in Barangay Lapasan and Barangay Bulua to cater to commuters needing assistance, especially persons with disability, senior citizens, breastfeeding mothers, and pregnant women, Guro said.
Guro has also said that out of 100 persons subjected to an unannounced drug testing conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-10, none has so far tested positive for traces of illegal substance in their urine samples.
Those who underwent the random drug examination were bus drivers, bus conductors, van drivers, and taxi drivers. (davaotoday.com)
