If the chief of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) would have his way, he would want to suspend the whole fleet of the mother firm of a public utility bus which figures in a fatal accident.

LTFRB Chairman Alberto Suansing said that the current suspension policy of the LTFRB—which issues and regulates franchises of public utility vehicles in the country— prevents the agency from suspending a whole fleet of an erring bus firm.

Such happened with the Jell Transport, the owner of the bus which killed a three-year-old while crossing a pedestrian lane along EDSA-Santolan last Monday afternoon.

The LTFRB could only suspend for a month the franchise where the erring bus with plate number TXG 943 belonged—Case number 2002-3495. Suansing explained that Jell actually has six franchises, including Case Number 2002-3499 which has 75 units. All in all, Jell has 150 units, he said.

The rationale behind the current suspension policy is so the route would not be paralyzed by the suspension of the entire fleet of a bus firm serving the area. But with a large number of buses currently plying EDSA today, the agency could already afford to suspend the entire fleet of a bus firm, Suansing explained.

“We’re (board) already talking about amending our suspension policy,” Suansing said in a radio interview.

According to Daisy Jacobo, chief of the Traffic Safety Division of the Land Transportation Office, the management of an erring bus firm is to be blamed for accidents their drivers figure into.

“No less than the law requires that the owner/operator exercise extra ordinary diligence in the supervision of its drivers. This includes careful selection of whom to hire, monitoring of performance and calibration of skills and knowledge of hired drivers; should set quality standard for hiring and training. Huwag magtipid sa pag-hire, must closely supervise; test for physical and mental health,” Jacobo said quoting the Civil Code of the Philippines on the liability of common carriers.

“Allot part of income to human resource development and fleet safety and maintenance so these activities become integral part to stay in competition and to prolong life of company. ‘Business should have heart and public service should be its soul’ (Anima),” Jacobo urged bus operators.

“After all accidents can be predicted and therefore can be prevented also,” she noted.

Jell Transport has been involved in similar fatal accidents in the past. This year, Jell’s buses had reportedly so far killed three pedestrians in separate fatal accidents including Monday’s accident in EDSA.

A Jell bus also reportedly ran over a man last June along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and an employee of the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) in Manila last April.

In December 3, 2006, Francisco Castillo of 1312 Severino Reyes St., Sta. Cruz, Manila, was ran-over by a Jell Transport Inc. passenger bus with plate number NYE-350 at the Southbound lane along Commonwealth Avenue. The same accident also injured a certain Michael Simpuro.