OBEDIENCE: A Safety Guarantee

Philippine Daily Inquirer January 2014

Last year, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) immediately imposed a 30-day preventive suspension on all 78 bus units of the Don Mariano Transit Corp. (DMTC). Then a case hearing on the possible cancellation of the bus franchise of the DMTC had been set on January 7, 2014 (Villanueva, 2013).

Stubbornness seems to rule over again leading to a recent news about the bus firm (DMTC) that loses its franchise for death of 21. It is now being one of the top alarming flash reports these days.

“The government imposed the ‘heaviest penalty’ and cancelled the franchise of a 20-year-old bus company over the Dec. 16, 2013, highway accident that killed 21 people and injured 24 others in Taguig City (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2014).”

“Around 5 a.m. on Dec. 16, a Don Mariano Passenger Bus driven by Carmelo Calatcat fell off the elevated Skyway and crashed onto a closed van below. The company’s entire fleet was placed under preventive suspension immediately after the accident (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 2014).”

       It was then when LTFRB Chair Winston Ginez said that the board looked into the company’s checkered safety record, which included a 2012 accident that killed a motorcycle driver on the northbound lane of Magallanes flyover. The investigation also found that Don Mariano allowed the first illegal use or change of chassis on its busses without informing the LTFRB—a clear misinterpretation which this board can never tolerate (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 2014).

        Ginez also stressed that with all the evidence submitted and gathered, there is no doubt that respondent Don Mariano has repeatedly failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the certificates of public convenience granted to it. Moreover, it also failed to provide services that were “safe, proper and adequate” (Phil. Daily Inquirer, 2014).

            

       What is so hard in obeying rules? To obey is to simply follow and comply with the rules or directions being set in order for one to serve as his guide. Well, in some cases, maybe, to obey is very hard because of pride and lack of self-discipline.I have often heard people blaming and saying that the blame should go to the government for their negligence and failure to properly regulate. Road accidents should only be avoided if only there are conscious efforts about road safety. Of course, that is important. Road safety is the government’s responsibility. However, nothing would change if people will keep on blaming the government agencies. Blaming could not already even return the 21 lives of the victims being killed on the tragic accident. 

       It seems that both sides are wrong—the DMTC and the government agencies. The two may be considered as equally liable for the casualties. In the case of the Don Mariano bus mishap, the owners should be made personally liable, not just the bus company. Unless this is done, other bus operators will not get the message that they need to behave and follow the laws (The Philippine Star, 2013).

    Furthermore, the Skyway management should also be held liable for damages, since that is not the first time a bus or vehicle has jumped off it. There is negligence in the enforcement of traffic safety rules including violation of the speed limit. Government should invest on road safety (The Phil. Star, 2013).

    However, I agree with what the government has done to the bus firm. Cancelling the license of a 20-year-old bus company (that is also known for having almost 20 years of being stubborn and noncompliance to LTFRB’s rules and regulations) could only be the best solution for reducing the risk of road accidents. This is for the people to realize and learn from their mistakes. They have just reaped their consequence for being disobedient.

     With the so many dilemmas our country is facing nowadays, we should value accountability even in small but terrible happenings like these. It is just like a matter of accepting your own mistakes andkeeping your feet off the ground always. It may be easy for us to blame the bus driver for his disobedience or the government for their late prevention actions; however, looking at a general perspective, the change should start within ourselves. We don’t have to wait for someone to take the action but the initiative for a change is in us. If you’re a responsible citizen of the country, then follow rules and regulations; if you’re a government official, things that matters life and death should be given an ounce of prevention immediately better than cure.

Sources:

Camus, M. and Gamil, J. (2014, January 15). Bus firm loses franchise for death of 21. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A23

Villanueva M. (2013, December 20). Look left and right, then look up, too. The Philippine Star OPINION, p. 17

Chanco B. (2013, December 20). Who is responsible for road safety? The Philippine Star BUSINESS, Retrieved from: http://www.philstar.com/business/2013/12/20/1270051/who-responsible-road-safety