Transport regulators are requiring all public utility bus operators to install Global Positioning System device on all their units in a move to modernize public transportation services while promoting safety.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said provincial buses entering Metro Manila are required to install and register the GPS on their units from September 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016; Metro Manila city buses, on January 1, 2016 to April 30, 2016 and inter-regional buses not entering Metro Manila – April 1, 2016 to July 31, 2016.
For intra-regional buses the GPS should be installed on or before July 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016, LTFRB said.
Before the GPS devices are installed, bus operators must strictly adhere to LTFRB’s registration procedures.
Only GPS devices procured from the Board’s accredited providers can be enrolled or registered. Installation of the device will only be done by the accredited provider under the supervision of Board’s personnel.
Once the GPS is installed on the unit, the device provider will set up the GPS using a software application to activate the GPS using a password.
Once registration is complete, using a unique ID assigned to the device, the GPS will be able to send data to GPS log server that will enable LTFRB to determine the unit’s exact location and if it is maintaining the prescribed speed limit.
The current speed limit along expressways is 80km/hour while in urban areas the speed limit is 60 kilometers per hour.
“The Board’s main aim is to protect the safety of the riding public by regulating the speed limit of buses traversing our national roads and highways. With the use of latest and innovative technology, we believe we can modernize our transport system and provide the commuters with reliable, convenient and safe transportation services,” LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said.
The UP National Center for Transportation Studies (UP-NCTS) Road Safety Research Laboratory’s ‘Study on Speed Control of PUBs’ revealed that road accident severity is very much related to speeds of colliding vehicles attributed to driver’s practice of tailgating and miscalculation of speed.
Ginez said that with a GPS device installed on PUBs, it allows bus operators to determine if their drivers are following their authorized routes. It also enables them to quickly send a replacement unit to transport passengers in the event the unit encountered mechanical failure while on the road.
Bus operators who fail to install GPS device will be penalized P5,000 per unit. An additional penalty of P1,000 per unit per month will be imposed after a grace period of 30 days is granted from the end of the compliance period.
The Board will also penalize operators or drivers found tampering the GPS device from P5,000 for first offense, P10,000 for second offense and P15,000 for third and subsequent offenses including suspension of their certificate of public convenience (CPC) for 30 days.