Florida’s hits, misses along road to success

Since the past decade, the pink buses of GV Florida Transport Inc., with their distinct floral body marks, have been busy carrying passengers to and from Metro Manila and three regions in northern Luzon: Cagayan Valley, the Ilocos and the Cordillera.

This was until the bus crash in Bontoc town in Mt. Province on Feb. 7 that killed at least 14 passengers, mostly tourists, easily making it the company’s worst accident in its 15 years of operation.

On Saturday, all of the estimated 250 buses of Florida, which has its main provincial terminal in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan province, have been ordered off the road, as part of the 30-day suspension slapped by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) following the Bontoc crash.

GV Florida bus company may not have caught much media attention in the past, but even observers noted its dramatic rise to success, making it one of Cagayan Valley’s main players in the public utility industry.

With its terminals in Sampaloc in Manila and Cubao in Quezon City, Florida plies routes to 43 key cities and towns of Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Ifugao, Benguet and Mt. Province.

The company operates passenger buses with six classifications, most notable of which are its spacious 29-seat “super deluxe” buses and the sleeper class, equipped with 35 bunk beds. Installed with restrooms, both classes travel nonstop for the 12-hour Manila-Tuguegarao or Manila-Laoag trips.

But Florida has its own success story to tell.

Records showed that GV Florida started in the late 1970s as Florida Liner, owned by Virgilio Florida Sr., based in Allacapan town in Cagayan.

He operated a few mini buses that used to ply short Cagayan routes, such as Tuguegarao-Aparri or Tuguegarao-Claveria, said Manuel Baricaua, regional administrative chief of Land Transportation Office (LTO), Cagayan Valley.

In 1999, the bus firm was founded by brothers George and Virgilio as a spinoff of the now-defunct EMC Transportation Inc. that used to ply the Manila-Cagayan routes.

It soon expanded its operations to the Ilocos region after acquiring F. Franco Transit and B. Trans, and took over the Ilocos franchise of Autobus Transportation.

Soon, Florida became a dominant player as a passenger carrier in the region after it acquired the franchises of the now-defunct Viva Alladin, Ballesteros Express and Dagupan Bus Lines.

Baricaua said Florida grew by “leaps and bounds” because of the supposed good management by its owners.

Despite its successes, Florida has had its own share of accidents along the road that had caused deaths and injuries to people.

“This (Bontoc incident) will be a great challenge for the owners, especially in dealing with the families of the victims,” Baricaua said.

He also noted that Florida might also have to answer allegations that it has been operating buses illegally, which include those under Dagupan Bus Lines and Cable Tours, the listed operator of the ill-fated bus in the Bontoc tragedy.

Baricaua led an on-the-spot inspection of about 40 buses that were parked at its terminal in Tuguegarao City last week. LTO personnel found violations on 17 buses, including switched licensed plates and unrecorded engine numbers, and those operating outside routes specified in the firm’s franchise.

One bus driver was working with an expired license.