LTFRB: GPS a must for public utility buses starting September

Starting September, public utility buses (PUBs) are required to have a global positioning system (GPS) device that will allow authorities to track down the vehicle’s location as well as monitor its speed.

In a recent memorandum circular, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) required all bus operators to install and register GPS devices on their units starting Sept. 1 this year to Jan. 31, 2016, for provincial buses entering Metro Manila.

For city buses operating in the capital, the installation and registration period is from Jan. 1 to April 30, 2016; April 1 to July 31, 2016, for inter-regional buses not entering Metro Manila; and July 1 to October 31, 2016, for intra-regional buses.

Only GPS devices procured from providers accredited by the LTFRB can be enrolled or registered. The installation of the GPS devices by the accredited provider should be done also under LTFRB supervision.

The GPS should be able to send data to a server that will enable the LTFRB to determine whether the unit is following its authorized route and maintaining the prescribed speed limit.

The speed limit on expressways is 80 kilometers per hour. On other roads in urban areas, it’s 60 kilometers per hour.

“The board’s main aim is to protect the safety of the riding public by regulating the speed limit of buses traversing our national roads and highways. With the use of latest and innovative technology, we believe we can modernize our transport system and provide the commuters with reliable, convenient and safe transportation services,” LTFRB chair Winston Ginez said in a statement Sunday.

Bus operators missing the deadline will be fined P5,000 for every unit found without a GPS device.

They will face an additional fine of P1,000 per unit for every month of continued noncompliance.

The LTRFB will also penalize operators or drivers caught tampering with their GPS devices: The fine will be P5,000 for the first offense and P10,000 for the second offense.

The penalty for the third and subsequent offenses include a P15,000 fine and the suspension of the bus franchise for 30 days.–Jaymee T. Gamil