Speed-limit devices on buses pushed

Investigators collect items from the wreckage of a passenger bus that plunged from an elevated highway known as the Skyway Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, in Parañaque City. Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas on Monday proposed that the government require speed-limit devices on buses to prevent deadly accidents usually caused by speeding. AP PHOTO/BULLIT MARQUEZ

MANILA, Philippines—Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas on Monday proposed that the government require speed-limit devices on buses to prevent deadly accidents usually caused by speeding.

Treñas also criticized the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for being too lenient with bus companies that have poor safety records.

Shortly after Monday morning’s Don Mariano Transit Corp. commuter bus crash on the Skyway in Parañaque City, Treñas called on the LTFRB to require speed-limit devices for buses to prevent drivers from running their vehicles beyond 60 kilometers per hour.

Speed-limit devices would reduce the risk of bus crashes such as Monday’s Don Mariano accident that killed at least 18 people, Treñas said.

“Since it is impossible to ensure that only drivers with [good records] are employed by bus companies, the best way to reduce road accidents is to deny [drivers] the ability to drive faster than they should,” Treñas said in a statement.

Treñas’ proposal is not new. In 2012, the LTFRB planned to require speed-limiting systems for buses to peg the maximum speed at 40 kph, but the plan fell through.