Will this lead to safer rides in the future?
Drive in Manila long enough, and sooner or later you’ll have a run-in with reckless buses. You know the type – those smoke-belching, Mad Max driving, lane stealing public conveyances that ply our streets without any regard for the safety of people around them.
Well, that’s soon to change, if the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board gets its way. The government agency is looking to require public utility buses installed with GPS devices so there will be a way to monitor and limit the speed of buses going through the busy roads of Manila. To this end, they’ve announced seven GPS brands that can be used by bus operators.
The GPS devices, which include brands like M-Rex Tracker, Vectras, ATrack, UniTrack, Tramigo, TStar and MARK, are expected to but installed in buses by 2017. These GPS trackers will let the LTFRB know if said PUBs are following the correct route that their franchise grants them, as well as the overall speed that their buses travel.
Bus operators who fail to install these GPS devices will be penalized Php 5,000 per unit. Noncompliance after the 30-day grace period will net a penalty of Php 1,000 per unit, per month.
