LTFRB-7 inspects buses, minibuses as Holy Week draws near

Passengers heading south line up outside the Cebu South Bus Terminal. | CDN file photo

Cebu City, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) has already started inspecting buses and minibuses to ensure their road worthiness as the Holy Week draws near.

Regional Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. of the LTFRB-7 said that they had started the inspection for nearly a week or since last Friday, April 5, and they had not yet found any violators to the inspections.

Montealto said that they had conducted the inspections and started at the Cebu South Bus Terminal to ensure the vehicles’ road worthiness and that their tires would be in good condition.

Read more: CSBT gears up for influx of passengers during Holy Week

He also said that aside from the road worthiness of the buses and minibuses, they were also monitoring that the buses would follow the seating capacity of the buses and minibuses and would not practice overloading in order to avoid accidents during the observance of the Holy Week.

“So far, we haven’t seen any violators during our inspection,” he added.

Meanwhile, the government agencies securing the ports in Cebu have also met and discussed the security measures they would be implementing during the Holy Week. Last week the Provincial Tourism Office also met with security agencies also to prepare for the tourists during the Holy Week.

Read more: Holy Week boat passengers urged: Buy tickets early, be ready for tight port security

He also encouraged bus operators to secure a special permit if the planned to ferry passengers outside their routes, so that they would not be charged as colorum vehicles.

Read more: Cebu tourism stakeholders prepare for Holy Week, summer visitors

He also said that bus companies were inquiring about how to secure these special permits.

He said that during the observance of All Saint’s and All Soul’s Days last year, the LTFRB-7 was able to issue around 85 special permits.

He said that bus companies are now inquiring in their office for them to secure the permit.

Montealto added that during the observance of the All Saints day and All Souls day last year, LTFRB-7 were able to issue around 85 special permits.

Under the Joint Administrative Order (JAO), a colorum bus is penalized with the fine of one million pesos.

During the Holy week, Montealto added that they will also be deploying nurses in terminals to attend to passengers with medical conditions who are not feeling well./dbs