Labella warns Ceres: shape up or ship out…

Ceres buses ply the city’s street as the main mode of transport for commuters during the time of the pandemic.| Contributed photo| Contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella issued a stern warning to Villacar Transport, the operator of the Ceres Bus Liner, over the series of vehicular accidents in the city involving their buses since September 2020.

“Sobra na ni kadaghang aksidente. (There have been too many accidents.) It’s alarming. They should shape up because although nahitabo ang uban sa (it happened in) other local governments, it is something we should be alarmed about. We need to admonish them.”

“If they cannot shape up, we might have them replaced. One life lost is too many lives lost,” said the mayor.

To resolve the issue, a hearing was conducted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) following reports of various incidents involving Ceres buses.

In Cebu City alone, there were 22 separate incidents caused by the bus liner leading to one death and injuring 10 people from September 1, 2020, to the present.

The mayor said that some bus liners such as the Mybus of SM and other provincial bus liners have already expressed intention of providing more buses for Cebu City.

This means that if the city decides to limit the Ceres buses, there will be units from other bus companies to replace them.

The mayor met with operators of the bus liner on Tuesday afternoon, and Ceres defended themselves saying that they always follow safety protocols in ensuring the viability of their buses.

They also conduct regular drug tests to ensure that their drivers are drug-free. Four drivers have already been removed from service due to positive drug tests.

There are currently 237 Ceres buses traversing Metro Cebu especially Cebu City, which indicates that they are currently the most common public transport on the streets under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ).

Labella told Villacar Transport to observe a speed limit of 40 kilometers per hour (kph) only when traversing city streets to avoid accidents.

Finally, the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) has asked the Ceres Bus Line to provide the official travel lines from each route their buses are plying for constant monitoring.

The mayor also warned that if accidents involving Ceres buses continue, the city will be forced to disallow their operations here. /rcg