Bus terminal chief: Defer suspension of Ceres bus units

CEBU, Philippines - Due to the influx of passengers who would surely be affected, the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) administrator will appeal before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-7 today to request for the postponement of the suspension of 10 Ceres buses.

He said not only Vallacar Transit, which owns the Ceres bus that figured in an accident last Monday, but more importantly the passengers who would suffer.

LTFRB issued on Tuesday a 30-day suspension order against the buses of Vallacar Transit plying the Guihulngan (Negros)-Cebu City route after a unit of the said franchise figured in an accident in Badian town Monday morning that killed two, including a five-year-old child, and injured 32 others.

But Vicente Dejoras said that because it is the peak season, with thousands going to their respective hometowns for Christmas and New Year and going to Cebu City for the Sinulog, the people are the ones who would suffer the most.

“Kung pwede ang suspension unya nalang after na sa Sinulog. Maluoy ta sa atong mga igsuon nga taga-probinsya, manguli intawon sila (If possible, suspend the units after the Sinulog, which is on the third Sunday of January.  We should pity those from the provinces.  They need to go home),” he said.

Dejoras said he initially discussed the matter in a meeting with some Ceres bus representatives last Tuesday.

He would confer with LTFRB-7 officials today to raise his concern and appeal with them in behalf of the passengers.

Dejoras said the number of passengers is expected to increase starting this weekend for the holiday season.

Meanwhile, despite the lack of victims who are willing to file a complaint against bus driver Erwin Gerson, the police yesterday afternoon sued him for reckless driving and driver under the influence.

Badian police charged Gerson for violating Republic Act (RA) 10586, or “An Act Penalizing Persons Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Dangerous Drugs, and Similar Substances, and for Other Purposes,” also known as Anti-drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013; and of RA 4136, or “An Act to Compile the Laws Relative to Land Transportation and Traffic Rules, to Create a Land Transportation Commission and for Other Purposes,” or the country’s “Land Transportation and Traffic Code”.

Section 5 of RA 10586 makes it “unlawful for any person to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, dangerous drugs and/or other similar substances”.

Inspector Henry Orbiso of Badian police said not one of the injured passengers, who are currently confined in different district hospitals in the nearby towns of Badian and in Cebu City, wanted to file complaints against the driver.

Gerson was driving a Ceres bus (722 CEH) Monday morning when he lost control of the vehicle, which fell on its side at the national highway in Barangay Balhaan, Badian.—Michael H. Braga, Melissa Q. Cabahug/RHM