Impunity

As the days go by and the current investigation continue into the deadly Don Mariano Transit Corporation bus accident, it seems that this company operates with impunity, with no fear whatsoever of bending every rule of the book. More than half of their fleet of buses were deemed unworthy to ply the road. From worn-out tires to non-working turn signals to busted windshield wipers, you name it. These were the defects found on many buses as they continued their investigation on the suspended bus company. Why they continue to use these buses with worn-out tires is proof enough of their disregard for the safety of their passengers as well as their drivers, who in turn may not be proficient in driving buses in the first place! And yet they carry the red 'professional' license.

On top of that, they have an expired Labor Standards Compliance Certificate, which, according to Labor Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz, is a prerequisite for a franchise. No LSCC, no franchise, therefore you cannot operate. And yet here we have Don Mariano's buses, on the road, courting death. So where did the monkey business happen? Who issued the franchise in spite of an expired LSCC, or is the company just too well connected to trouble themselves with safety concerns and certificates. By the way, the owners of Don Mariano also own five other bus companies, with a total combined fleet of more than four hundred buses. One can only guess how many are not roadworthy.

Don Mariano is accumulating a lot of infractions, according to the LTFRB. Aside from that, they also have a string of accidents to their name. Their buses are not roadworthy at all. Broken wipers, in a country where more than six months it rains? Since they drive at breakneck speeds, they probably believe that the water droplets on the windshield are simply blown away. Right.

So here you have a transportation company that does not comply with labor requirements, does not care about safety, and apparently just hires anyone driver who can turn a key. The result, more than twenty dead and the same number injured. But I cannot put the blame solely on Don Mariano. What agency is tasked to make sure vehicles are roadworthy, especially public transportation vehicles? What agency does the inspections of every vehicle to make sure they are safe?

The LTFRB is clearly on the defensive. According to them, they do inspect vehicles at the start of the year. In other words, once a year. So the assumption is that nothing should break down until the next yearly inspection. So tires only wear out during yearly inspections, and not in the middle of the year? So windshield wipers do not conk out in the middle of the year? Really? The LTFRB has to clean up its act, right now. Inspections must be made at least three times a year. Just how hard is it to check tires and wipers, both of primary importance in terms of safety?

It is the responsibility of the company to see to it that their vehicles are in top shape and safe. It is also their responsibility to hire competent drivers who just don't know how to drive, but know their vehicles, and the laws as well. But since companies are profit-oriented and not service-oriented, then this is where the LTFRB must come in. Regularly. Diligently.

Unless of course, you know what I mean.