First day of inspection of school buses: LTFRB, LTO find minor violations

CEBU, Philippines - In the first day of inspections conducted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Cebu City yesterday, they found only minor violations for buses of one school.

What, however, was alarming was that several vehicles used as “car pool” for students of another school might not have complied with the law that requires them to get a franchise from the LTFRB.

LTFRB-7 regional director Ahmed Cuizon said that they inspected the buses of the University of San Jose-Recoletos and Cebu Institute of Technology-University early in the morning.

Cuizon said that they inspected at least 20 vehicles of USJ-R and found some of them to be lacking the required first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and grills on the window.

Lawyer Jesus Velez of USJR said that they will comply with the deficiencies.

LTFRB is giving USJR until today to comply.

Not punitive

Cuizon said that LTFRB’s objective is not entirely punitive since they want them to comply with government requirements.

“Hence, those found to lack requirements are given until tomorrow to comply,” Cuizon said yesterday.

After that, Cuizon said, if they failed to comply, they are already liable for a fine of P2,000 for the first offense, P3,000 fine with suspension of their franchise for 60 days and confiscation of their yellow plate for the second offense, and a fine of P5,000 with cancellation of franchise for the third offense.

On the part of CIT-U, Cuizon said the school has two buses and these were found to have a franchise and no violations.

These school buses are being used for the College of Nursing and for other school-related activities.

No franchise?

Cuizon said that based on their interviews with parents and the school administrator, he learned that there are privately-owned vehicles that are being used as car pool.

He said that if a vehicle is being used as a car pool and the owner or the driver collects a fee or fare, it would need a franchise.

Cuizon added that former City Councilor Arsenio Pacaña, one of CIT-U deans, told him that they are unaware and lack information about franchising law on school transportation.

Pacaña said he will be calling a general assembly as soon as possible to inform parents and guardians on this matter.

LTFRB and LTO will conduct another inspection of school transportation next week in Mandaue City.

After Mandaue City, they will conduct inspections in Lapu-Lapu City and Talisay City.

Earlier, LTFRB-7 was alarmed that based on their records only 179 school transportations in these areas have franchise considering that there are so many schools here.

Of the 179 school transportations with franchise, 132 of these are in Cebu City, 19 in Lapu-Lapu City, 18 in Talisay City and ten in Mandaue City.

Department of Education-7 says there are a total of 611 schools both private and public in the elementary and secondary levels.

DepEd-7 however said that they do not have any data as to how many schools have their own transportation.

Cuizon reiterated his call for school administration to have their school transportation registered (those units operating without a franchise) before LTFRB to ensure public safety and avoid unnecessary penalties.

A franchise fee is less than P10,000 and valid for five years per unit. —(FREEMAN)