LTFRB suspends 20 units of First North Luzon Transit Inc.

A First North Luzon bus catches fire along EDSA in November 2013 (Photo courtesy of Sec. Joel Villanuave via Twitter)

MANILA — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued a thirty day Preventive Suspension Order (PSO) to immediately halt the operations of First North Luzon Transit Inc.’s 20 units due to the involvement of one of its buses in a collision incident in Pampanga last month.

The road accident involving a First North Luzon Transit Inc. bus with plate number TXS-496 happened on January 4, 2015, at 11 am, along the Southbound lane of North Luzon Expressway in the vicinity of Brgy. San Juan, Apalit, Pampanga, when it collided with a private vehicle with plate number PIY- 471.

The accident resulted in injuries to the driver and passengers of the private vehicle.

The bus company was ordered by the Board to submit a written answer why the company’s Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) should not be revoked and cancelled by the Board due the vehicular incident.

The First North Luzon Transit filed the report on January 20, 2015 to oppose the suspension order, which was contested by the owner and passengers of the private vehicle it collided with by filing its reply on January 25, 2015.

After carefully reviewing the allegations contained in the respective pleadings filed by the two parties, LTFRB granted and issued the preventive suspension order.

LTFRB chairman Atty. Winston M. Ginez said: “The Board will not tolerate reckless driving of public transport services that will put the lives or properties of the public, whether passengers or pedestrians, in danger.”

He added that the Board is constrained to exercise its authority to suspend the operation of First North Luzon Transit pending hearing on the merits of the complaint.

The Board ordered the bus company to ground the 20 units in its terminal located in P. Tuazon corner EDSA, Cubao Quezon City. Authorized personnel of the Board will confiscate the for hire plates of the buses on February 20.