Aside from inspecting buses, LTO-7 also inspected public utility vans on Thursday, October 27, 2022.| contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7) issued verbal warnings to 14 public utility buses (PUBs) on Thursday, October 27, 2022, a day before the expected influx of passengers for the Kalag-Kalag 2022 celebration.
The PUB drivers were verbally apprehended for failing to ensure roadworthiness and compliance with safety regulations, according to a statement from the LTO-7.
“LTO-7 has started its random inspection of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in major terminals in the region to prevent accidents from happening during long holidays, such as these,” the agency said, noting that the activity was part of the annual Oplan Byaheng Ayos of the LTO and its mother agency, Department of Transportation.
LTO-7 director Emmanuel Caindec said among the common defects they monitored during their random inspection are the reverse lamp, issues with the brake system, broken windshield, worn out tires, defective seatbelt, colored lights, and having no tail and brake lights.
The owners of the 14 buses, he said, were told to have their units fixed before they could operate again. Five of the apprehensions made were at the Cebu City South Bus Terminal, while the rest are from the Cebu City North Bus Terminal.
The activity on Thursday was a joint inspection between the LTO-7, the region’s Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7), and the Highway Patrol Group.
“We are not yet issuing them anything, but rather giving the operators and drivers the chance to correct the defects during the inspection,” Caindec said.
“We want to secure the safety of our riding public, especially since more are expected to travel to and from our tourist destinations with our long weekend,” he added.
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