The Don Mariano Transit Corporation’s entire 78 bus units was suspended by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Monday, December 16, 2013, hours after the accident involving one of their buses that falls off from the Skyway.
According to a news report posted by GMA News, LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez cited that past accidents involving the bus company served as basis for grounding the entire fleet.
The entire fleet of the Don Mariano Transit will be preventively suspended for 30 days, but according to the LTFRB chief, the owner of Don Mariano had voluntarily recalled all the firm’s units as of Monday morning.
LTFRB Chairman Ginez earlier stated that aside from the automatic suspension of Don Mariano franchise for 30 days, they are also studying whether to suspend the entire fleet of Don Mariano bus lines due to its track record of accidents.
Winston Ginez was quoted as saying “Sa aming policy, ang prangkisa ng involved (na bus ang automatically suspended. Pero) dahil grabe ang nangyari at kasalukuyan nating mino-monitor, pag-aaralan namin kung isang franchise o buong fleet (ang isususpinde),” Ginez said in an earlier interview on dzBB radio.
The LTFRB also noted that Don Mariano bus had also figured in an accident at a flyover along EDSA in July 2012, when the driver was speeding while texting. The agency will review all the previous accidents involving the Don Mariano Transit buses.
