MANILA, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday, December 5, canceled the entire fleet of Dimple Star Bus.

In a statement, the LTFRB said the order was due to previous bus crashes that led to multiple deaths and injuries. All 11 franchises issued to the bus firm were revoked.

“We are canceling the franchise of the entire fleet of Dimple Star because of repetitive recklessness in their transport service. One death is already one too many,” LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said on Wednesday.

The decision was made on Tuesday, December 4, after several deliberations on the crash that killed 19 people and left 21 others injured in Occidental Mindoro last March.

The LTFRB suspended Dimple Star Bus’ entire fleet after the Occidental Mindoro incident.

Records show that the company was involved in 8 road crashes from 2011 to 2018.

“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 said.

(If you’re a driver, you’re not only in charge of the steering wheel. You’re also accountable for the lives of your passengers, that’s why it’s important to be very careful to ensure their safety.)

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said on Wednesday that the Dimple Star Bus case highlights the need for modernization in transport systems.

“This is precisely why we are pushing for the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program. We want to modernize our PUVs to give our citizens a safe, secure, and comfortable transport system with disciplined drivers,” Tugade said.

“Ilan pa ba ang kailangang mamatay sa kalsada para lamang maisip at maintindihan nating ito na ang tamang oras?” he added. (How many more need to die just so people understand that now is the right time for modernization?)

In 2014, the LTFRB also suspended Dimple Star after a bus with plate number TYS 454 collided with a 10-wheeler truck along the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway in Barangay Bulacnin, Lipa City. The crash left two people dead and 53 others injured. – Rappler.com