By Carlito Dar
BAGUIO CITY - - The
Department of Transportation and Communication- Cordillera Regional Office has intensified inspection of franchises and
road worthiness of public utility vehicles(PUVs) following several road
accidents in the region recently.
DOTC – CAR Regional
Director Celina Claver disclosed that
through the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), inspection of PUVs down to their terminals will be
done and they will be adding manpower
for such purpose.
Claver reported that adding to the risky mountainous road
terrains in the Cordillera, mini-buses
that plying provincial routes are also questionable of their road worthiness.
“We are already
strictly implementing the 15 year phase-out rule for public utility buses, as
we also face the concern of operators having financial capacity to replace
their existing units with brand new buses. If a bus reached 15 years, we will
now not allow it for public use, even if it pass a MVIS (Motor Vehicle
Inspection Service) certification”, she stressed.
This February alone, a
Florida bus with questionable franchise
plunged into a ravine in Talubin, Bontoc, Mountain Province killing 14
passengers and injuring more than 30. A passenger jeepney in Abra which also fell killing
five people, several passengers injured.
For the Florida case,
Claver reported that they have already submitted their report for the incident,
both those coming from the police investigation and from their own assessment
of the accident and it is now up to the LTFRB board to decide, which she
assured will be done in soonest possible time.
As for motorists,
Claver reiterated the need for drivers to always use defensive driving
especially newcomers or first-time to
traverse the mountainous road terrain of
the Cordillera.
No comments:
Post a Comment