Photo by Gareth Likigan
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has suspended two bus companies, including the operator of the bus that fell into a ravine in Mt. Province on Tuesday. The crash killed 14 people including comedian Arvin “Tado” Jimenez.
The LTFRB statement released Saturday said that the preventive suspension order covered a total of 238 buses of G.V. Florida Transport Inc. and Mt. Province Cable Tours. Following a series of tragic accidents on the nation’s highways involving buses, the LTFRB has been under pressure to increase its regulation of operators.
The latest order is the single largest suspension order of the LTFRB. A Department of Transportation and Communications report showed that while the crashed bus had a G.V. Florida body marking, its plate number was assigned to another bus company, the Mt. Province Cable Tours owned by Norberto Que Sr.
The LTFRB report noted the chassis and engine numbers of the Florida bus had been tampered with and were not registered with the Land Transportation Office. The bus was not authorized to operate as a for-hire vehicle.
The accident happened on February 7, when the Florida bus fell down a ravine in Talubin, Bontoc.
Officials of both companies could not be immediately reached for comment.
“There are enough merits to immediately recall the whole fleet of G.V. Florida and Mt. Province Cable Tours, and temporary suspend their operations until we verify the permits of their respective units,” LTFRB Chair Winston Ginez said in the statement.
The bus companies committed “blatant multiple violations that we cannot just tolerate because it puts people’s lives in danger,” Ginez said.
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