6 bus firms face disfranchisement

FILe PHOTO Passengers line up to board Edsa Carousel buses at Monumento, Caloocan City on September 30, 2020. Niño Jesus Orbeta/Philippine Daily Inquirer (file)

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Friday ordered six bus companies to explain why they should not be disfranchised for leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in their terminals in Pampanga.

Maria Kristina Cassion, executive director of LTFRB, said the show cause orders had already been received by Victory Liner Inc., Bataan Transit Bus Co. Inc., Five Star Bus Co. Inc., First North Luzon Transit Inc. and Maria De Leon Transit.

Only Genesis Transport Service Inc. had not received the order because their office in Makati was closed when the show cause order was served.

According to the order, the LTFRB’s regional office in Central Luzon found hundreds of passengers stranded at the bus terminals in Mabalacat, Mexico, and the City of San Fernando because no buses were available.

The order said that the bus companies, being grantees of the certificate of public convenience (CPC) to operate public utility bus services, should explain why their CPC should not be revoked or suspended for alleged violations of the CPC’s terms and conditions.

The six bus operators were directed to file their verified answers within five days from receipt of the copy of the show cause order and were directed to appear before an online hearing of the LTFRB at 9 a.m. on May 10.

The order stemmed from the bus companies’ failure to deploy their buses purportedly because of the so-called “window hours” scheme imposed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

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