Don Mariano Transit owners' six other bus firms face probe

Published December 18, 2013 10:47pm

The Don Mariano Transit Corp. has six sister bus companies that will also be investigated for compliance with safety and labor standards, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said on Wednesday, two days after a horrific crash of a Don Mariano bus on the Skyway.

The other bus companies the family of Dr. Melissa Lim owns and operates are Admiral Transport, Fermina Express, Mencorp, Commuters, Nova Auto Transport, and Roval Transport, according to the LTFRB.

The Don Mariano Transit bus fell off the Skyway on Monday, killing 18 people died and injuring over a dozen.

The LTFRB said it will conduct roadworthiness tests on all the bus fleets of the Lim family.

"Bubusisiin din namin ang kanilang compliance doon sa requirement ng Department of Labor and Employment na dapat ay fixed rate, not below minimum wage ang ibinabayad, at ang requirement na 'di lumalampas sa 12 hours (ang oras ng trabaho ng drivers at conductors)," LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said in an interview with GMA News' Bernadette Reyes in a report on the State of the Nation with Jessica Soho early evening newscast.

The LTFRB said the Lim family has a total of 474 bus units in all their seven bus firms.

A special investigation team was tasked to conduct the LTFRB probe.

Only six of 42 bus units passed the initial inspection of 42 units of the Don Mariano Transit Corp., the LTFRB said.

"May limang bus na may worn out tires tapos may isang unsightly body, tapos yung iba may defective parts na. Gaya ng mga defective taillights, signal lights, ta's kulang ang turnilyo, ta's may cracked windshield," according to Engr. Joel Donato, chief of the inspection center.

Some 35 other buses will be undergo inspection. Donato said the faulty parts found on bus units that fail their checks must be replaced or repaired before the LTFRB formally starts the hearing on January 7. — RT/ELR, GMA News

Tags: donmarianotransit, busfirms, skywaycrash