The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has cancelled all franchises of Dimple Star bus, nine months after one of its unit figured in an accident in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, killing 19 persons and injured 21 others.
LTFRB chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III said Wednesday that they have decided to cancel all 11 franchises of the bus company comprising its entire fleet due to previous incidents of road crashes that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
In a 29-page order dated Dec. 3, the LTFRB said that the Certificate of Public Convenience issued to Dimple Star “are hereby cancelled, revoked, and reverted back to the state.”
The LTFRB has also ordered to “destruct and destroy” the yellow plates of all the bus units included in the fleet of Dimple Star prior to their turn over to the Land Transportation Office.
“We are cancelling the franchise of the entire fleet of Dimple Star because of repetitive recklessness in their transport service. One death is already too many,” Delgra said.
Based on LTFRB records, Dimple Star Bus Co. has been involved in eight road crashes from 2011 to 2018, including the fatal incident in Occidental Mindoro, which led to the deaths of more than 25 persons and injuries to 134 others.
“Kung ikaw ay isang driver, hindi lamang manibela ang hawak mo. Hawak mo rin ang buhay ng mga pasahero mo kaya importanteng pag-ibayuhin mo ang pag-iingat upang masiguro ang kaligtasan nila,” Delgra added. (Alexandria San Juan)