By LITO RULONA
Correspondent .
Northern Mindanao Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-10) will closely and strictly monitor its policy on the installation of global positioning system (GPS) devices in all buses plying in the region.
This was disclosed by LTFRB-10 regional director Aminoden Guro after reports reached his office that only one bus company has installed GPS devices on their buses to promote road safety.
Guro said they commend the Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. (RTMI) that made immediate compliance to all their units that serve almost all areas in Mindanao.
“Aside from GPS. They also installed dash cams and close circuit television (CCTV) sets in all of their units to monitor the activity of their own employee in serving the riding public,” he said.
Implementing Guidelines of LTFRB Department Order No. 2015-011 requires PUVs to install CCTV cameras and GPS devices inside their vehicles.
The guidelines order bus companies and bus owners to install at least two CCTV cameras and GPS trackers per vehicle would be a requirement for the renewal of an operator’s franchise.
The footage from the CCTV cameras and GPS tracking data available upon request of law enforcement agencies in case of any accident that arises.
Guro said RTMI is the first bus company that completed the requirements in installing GPS, dashcam, CCTV cameras and now speed limiter. All drivers of big buses have been told to maintain speed limit of up to only 80 kilometers per hour while drivers of small buses are limited only to 60 kilometers per hour.
According to RTMI legal manager Celer Estologa said installation of GPS devices finds positive response from bus drivers as they find it helpful in avoiding road accidents.
“Not only drivers but passengers expressed support for the use of GPS devices to ensure the safety of the public,” he said.
In Memorandum Circular 2015-021, the LTFRB required the installation of GPS units to allow the board to monitor the speed and routes of public buses.
The devices will also help ensure the safety and security of passengers and drivers, the board added.
“Should a bus go missing for any reason, the device can help bus operators and authorities recover it. Or it can help operators quickly send a replacement bus to convey the passengers stranded by a broken-down bus,” Guro said.
Bus companies and owners who fail to install the units within the deadline will be penalized P5,000 per unit, with an additional P1,000 fine for every month of non-compliance.
With this setup, the GPS device will be able to send data to the log server, including information on the bus unit’s location and speed.
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