In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
3.11.10
DANGEROUS BUSES * Philippines - LTO grounds buses with defects
Manila,Philippines -Manila Bulletin, by KRIS BAYOS -October 29, 2010: -- Provincial public utility buses (PUBs) with mechanical defects and questionable franchise were barred on Friday from plying their routes by transportation authorities to prevent another spate of vehicular accidents that endanger the lives of drivers and their passengers... During an inspection atthe Araneta Bus Terminal in Quezon City, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Assistant Secretary Virginia Torressaid, the lack of first aid kits, fire extinguisher and wheel nuts, and the findings of worn-out tires and wipers, cracked windshields, defective lights, batteries, brakes, and seat belts, are the common grounds for the LTO law enforcers to put on hold some provincial PUBs from plying their routes... During the early hours of the inspection, a Naga City-bound ordinary bus (TYG 144) was put on hold because of numerous mechanical defects discovered by LTO enforcers...(Photo by Dave Ryan - Van to Sabang from Naga City CBT)
* Philippines - 'Passenger buses in RP dangerous'
(Video from YouTube, by Associated Press -21 Oct 2010: A powerful bomb blast on a bus carrying 50 passengers in the southern Philippines has left several people dead and wounded. The area is home to kidnappers, extortion gangs and a Muslim insurgency)
Manila,Philippines –The Philippine Star, by Alexis Romero -October 29, 2010: -- Traveling on Philippine passenger buses is dangerous because of accidents caused by driver error and brake failure, as well as the bombings perpetrated by criminal syndicates, according to a multinational risk consultancy firm... In a report dated Oct. 25, the Pacific Strategies and Assessments (PSA) saidpassenger buses in Mindanao, particularly those traveling the Davao-Cotabato routes, have been regular targets of criminal groups...“There is a significant risk of traveling on passenger buses in the Philippines. Over the course of the last several months, there have also been multiple major bus accidents across the country involving mostly driver error and brake failure,” PSA said.“While the threat of bus bombings in most areas of the country remains low, clients are strongly advised to avoid all bus travel in the Philippines, particularly Mindanao" ...PSA data showed that last month, five explosions in passenger buses occurred in one week, three of which were supposedly perpetrated by the Al Khobar extortion syndicate...
* Philippines - Marshals sought to protect buses
Kidapawan City,Philippines -The Philippine Daily Inquirer -30 Oct 2010: -- North Cotabato GovernorEmmylou Talino-Mendoza, urged the police to activate a program for marshals that would be deployed to buses to thwart attacks like last week’s bombing that ripped through a Rural Transit Bus and killed 10 people... Mendoza said marshals would be effective deterrents against such attacks... The blast, that also wounded 30 others in Matalam town, was the latest attack by suspected extortion syndicates against bus companies operating in southern and central Mindanao... Since 2006, dozens of people had died or were wounded in similar attacks... She saidmarshals should need no backup and have the highest level of handgun precision skills... (Photo from ottsworld: A jeepney bus Manila)
* Philippinnes - LTO finds 88 passenger buses with defects
Mindanao,Philippinnes -US News Las Vegas (USA) -Oct 31, 2010:-- The Land Transportation Office (LTO)found 88 passenger buses with various defects in an inspection conducted to ensure the safety of passengers going to their provinces for the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day commemorations on Nov. 1 and 2... LTO ChiefVirginia Torres, who personally led the inspection on Friday to ensure the roadworthiness of all vehicles, especially those used for public transport, said the discovered defects included cracked windshields, missing seat belts and worn-out tires... Torres said two units from the PP Bus Lines and the BEA Bus Lines were prevented from leaving their terminals due to defective tires and missing wheel nuts, among other defects... She added that worn-out tires could pose danger to the passengers, especially when the vehicles are traversing slippery or wet roadways... Of the 88 buses, 29 units did not have first aid kits, while 25 units did not have the required fire extinguishers. Ten more units had defective wipers, six units did not have seat belts while three lacked the required number of wheel nuts... The other inspected buses had defective brake lights, air leaks and park lights, among others...(Photo from farm5.static.flickr.com)
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