AMID the ongoing Yanson family squabble and the disruption in services of the Yanson Group of Bus Companies, the controlling faction assured that they welcome competitors in the business.
YGBC president and chief executive officer Leo Rey Yanson, who regained full control of the Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) main office in Barangay Mansilingan in Bacolod City on Saturday, August 10, 2019, said they were not monopolizing the transport industry particularly the bus sector.
The youngest Yanson sibling, also known as LRY, said it is the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) which approves or denies applications for a bus franchise.
"There are actually many competitors in the transportation industry. In this kind of business, one has to be efficient," he said in a press conference a day after he took over the company’s main office.
Even if one is smaller or bigger in number, at the end of the day, it should provide efficient service, the official added.
On the sidelines of the press conference, LRY told SunStar Bacolod that their family is apologetic for what happened.
He said the implementation of a "free ride" was in a way the company's means of asking for apology. In fact, they might offer it again.
The youngest Yanson asked for a little more time to "fix" everything as some of their bus units are still being repaired.
"I assure the riding public that bus operations will fully normalize in the coming days," he said, assuring that under his management there will be no more disruptions.
Yanson matriarch Olivia, who became emotional during the press conference, said the riding public has nothing to fear as she thanked those who supported and sympathized with them.
"We will make sure that our operations continue and our business will further flourish that is why I retain Leo Rey as the president," she added.
Before the camp of LRY regained full control of the company’s properties, there were several cases of disruption to the company’s services. VTI, a unit of YGBC, operates the Ceres Liner.
On August 7, trips of some Ceres bus units in Negros Occidental were suspended, affecting thousands of commuters.
Aside from passengers going south of the province, those going to Dumaguete and Cebu were also affected by the suspension.
Some netizens turned to social media to vent their frustrations and anger on the "disturbance".
The business and labor sectors in the province earlier expressed fear that the ongoing squabble among the Yanson siblings would adversely impact mobility of people and goods and services.
The conflict is between LRY, who has the support of sister Ginette and their mother Olivia, on one side and siblings Roy, Celina, Emily and Ricardo Jr. on the other.
Roy’s camp had ousted LRY as company president and Roy briefly took over.
Both parties have filed cases of injunction which are still pending before the Bacolod Regional Trial Court.