LTFRB suspends 18 units of bus firm

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board announced on Thursday that it issued a preventive suspension order on all 18 units of MGP Transit due to a road mishap involving one of the company’s units November last year  that killed five people and injured over 30 passengers.  

Initial investigation showed that  the accident that occurred on Nov. 14, 2013 around 6:40 a.m.  when an Elena Liner Bus (TXN-191) rammed into a bus stop along Edsa-Magallanes southbound lane.

The MGP bus (NVX-360) that was rear-ended by the Elena bus was operating without a valid permit.

"Sa isang masusing pag-iimbestiga na isinagawa ng aming tanggapan, napag-alaman namin na ang MGP bus na binangga ng Elena Bus ay phased out na unit na at di na dapat pa pinapasada sa ating mga lansangan," LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said.

Ginez said MGP Transit committed a serious violation of its Certificate for Public Conveyance permit and is facing cancellation or revocation of its bus franchise.

"Hindi papalagpasin ng Board ang paglabag na ginawa ng MGP Transit na nagresulta ng pagkasawi ng buhay at pagkasugat ng maraming pasahero," Ginez said.

The LTFRB set a public hearing on Jan. 21 to give MGP Transit a legal venue to explain why its CPCs should not be suspended, cancelled, and revoked for its refusal to comply with the order of LTFRB in so far as phased out units are concerned.

Information gathered by the LTFRB showed that the MGP Trans bus involved in the accident was a phased out model 1991 unit and was last confirmed by the Board in 2012.

Records from the Philippine Accident Managers Inc (PAMI), the management company of one of the accredited insurance groups under the Board’s passenger accident program, showed that the unit was last insured in 2012. Its passenger accident liability insurance coverage was not renewed by the bus company in 2013.

"This is a clear violation of our anti-colorum campaign, we will make sure that MGP Transit is meted with the penalty as prescribed by the Board and the government," Ginez added.
 
The Board will send a team on Jan. 11 to confiscate all licenses of the 18 units in MGP Transit garage.