THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Northern Mindanao reminds all bus firms to avoid overcharging passengers this Holy Week as they may face penalties, from fine to franchise suspension or cancellation.
LTFRB Regional Director Aminoden Guro said they have set up public assistance desks in transport terminals and have put up tarpaulins with LTFRB hotline numbers so complaints from the riding public can easily reach their office and be addressed immediately.
Last week, a group of inspectors have checked both westbound and southbound terminals to verify if buses are “road-worthy,” and whether drivers themselves are physically fit to travel.
Guro said they have assigned medics in terminals so drivers can check their blood pressure before driving, while inspectors are also told to closely monitor overloading buses.
A new memorandum circular, issued last Friday, also stated that the LTFRB would enforce six-hour cap on the driving hours of passenger bus drivers to ensure the safety of the riding public in time for the Holy Week where travelers are expected to flock to bus terminals.
Guro said this memo started its implementation on Monday, April 10, and seeks to address drivers over fatigue.
With the new rule, bus companies are directed to assign two drivers in a bus, the other one will act as an alternate driver to take over in case trips take more than 6 hours.
The circular also pointed out that it prohibits bus conductors from serving as the substitute driver.
"This is to avoid accidents, for the safety of the riding public," Guro said.
In the city, trips which would take over 6 hours from Cagayan de Oro (CDO) include CDO to Gensan, CDO to Davao, CDO to Dipolog, CDO to Zamboanga City, CDO to Pagadian, and CDO to Surigao City.
Laguindingan Airport manager Jose Budiongan, meanwhile, said security is up in the airport in time for Lent.
He said police and a mechanized unit from the army are on standby in the airport.
Budiongan said they have monitored increase of passengers since last week.
"We also observed that the passengers have so many luggages that we have to add another X-Ray lane outside," he added.
The Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) also placed the entire city on red alert for the “Im-plan Banal na Araw 2017.”
Cocpo spokesperson Mardy Hortillosa II said deployment of policemen in areas of convergence will start at 6 a.m., Maundy Thursday and will end at 5 p.m., Good Friday.
Hortillosa said police will be deployed to pilgrimage sites in the city, which include the Guadalupe shrine in Agusan village, where Catholic faithfuls journey the Stations of the Cross by crossing rivers until reaching the shrine and the Malasag walkway in Cugman village.
Full security will also be intensified in other areas of convergence such as churches and terminals.