The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has ordered the immediate cancellation and suspension for six months of the franchises of several bus companies that joined a transport strike in November last year.
This means scores of buses affiliated with these companies will be off Metro Manila roads starting Saturday, if their operators comply with the order.
The DOTC order upheld a previous decision by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) as “immediately executory,” canceling the operations of 121 buses of Philippine Corinthian Liner and 128 buses of Jell Transport, two of the country’s biggest bus operators.
The suspended operators are Voyager Express Liner, with 11 buses confined to the garage, and Angelito Chang-Elena Liner, with 28 buses.
“Strikes harm those who are the least privileged in our society, most of whom depend on public transport to be able to go to work,” said LTFRB Chair James Jacob.
“It is the mandate of the LTFRB to ensure that all commuters get to their destination safely and on time, while experiencing the least possible inconvenience.”
The DOTC decision is in line with the government’s policy of penalizing strikers who inconvenienced many commuters and disrupted business operations in Metro Manila last year.
The bus strike was in protest of the government’s move to include public utility buses in the Metro Manila number coding scheme.
The DOTC said it had ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to implement the order and apprehend buses violating the order.
Both cancelled and suspended buses must surrender their yellow plates to the LTFRB.
The DOTC said the penalized buses belong to the first batch of companies that face suspension orders. Included in the batch were ES Transport, Bovjen Transport, Eduardo Palma, E&E Royal Couple Bus Inc., City Bus Inc., Philippians Bus Lines, Newman Goldliner, Rainbow Express, Jayross Lucky Seven Tours, Laguna Star Bus Transportation System, JRMS Golden Sky Transport, Mannrose Liner, Vill 5000, Margarito Peñalosa, Jacinto Torres and Luzon Bus.