‘Rabbit’ shuts down Bataan routes

TARLAC CITY — The more than half-a-century old Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines (PRBL), which was founded in this province and has been known as one of the country’s pioneer bus companies, has stopped operating its routes between Metro Manila and two key places in Bataan province.

But Rivo Nisce, the bus firm’s chief operations officer, assured that it’s more than 100 workers in Bataan will not be laid off but only transferred to the company’s other terminals in Angeles City and Pampanga.

He explained that the closure of PRBL’s terminals in Balanga City and Mariveles town early this month was approved by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB).

According to him, the shutting down of the firm’s Bataan routes was "a painful decision," which the PRBL management carried out due to huge losses.

Nisce said that they have about a hundred fleet of buses supposedly deployed for PRBL’s Manila-Bataan route, but only between 10 to 15 of these vehicles have been operating for the past several years.

He added that aside from the stiff competition posed by newer bus firms, PRBL has also been beset with "internal problems".

"Japayuki" bus firms are those that operate second-hand vehicles imported from Japan, and which mostly violate operation franchises by deploying buses outside routes designated to them by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).