LTFRB scraps Dimple Star bus franchise

Responders search the wreckage of a Dimple Star Transport bus for victims after it fell off a cliff in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, on March 20, 2018. PHOTO COURTESY OF SABLAYAN MDRRMC

MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has canceled the entire Dimple Star bus franchise following several accidents that involved its buses, including one that killed 19 in Occidental Mindoro.

LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra said Wednesday that the board decided on Tuesday evening to cancel the 11 franchises of the bus company.

“We are canceling the franchise of the entire fleet of Dimple Star because of repetitive recklessness in their transport service. One death is already one too many,” Delgra said in a statement.

The decision primarily stemmed from the incident in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, where a Dimple bus fell off a cliff and killed 19 and injured 21.

READ: 19 dead, 21 hurt in Occidental Mindoro bus crash

The owner of the bus firm, Hilbert Napat, later reportedly told the LTFRB that the vehicle that crashed into ravine was a unit bought from a junk shop.

READ: Bus in Mindoro crash was bought from junk shop and rebuilt

Following the accident, the LTFRB handed a 30-day preventive suspension order against the company.

READ: LTFRB suspends bus firm involved in fatal Mindoro road mishap

According to LTFRB data, Dimple Star was involved into a total of eight road crashes from 2011 to 2018 that resulted in the death of “more than 25 people” and injuries to 134 others.

“Kung ikaw ay isang driver, hindi lamang manibela ang hawak mo. Hawak mo rin ang buhay ng mga pasahero mo kaya importanteng pag-ibayuhin mo ang pag-iingat upang masiguro ang kaligtasan nila,” he said

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said that the case of Dimple Star Bus company was proof of the need to modernize the country’s transport system.

“This is precisely why we are pushing for the public utility vehicle modernization program. We want to modernize our PUVs to give our citizens a safe, secure, and comfortable transport system with disciplined drivers,” Tugade said. /cbb