Fines await drivers of bus, PUJs who don’t have seats for PWDs

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) reminded passenger bus and passenger utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers to designate seats for persons with disability (PWDs) or face penalties.

LTFRB 7 Director Ahmed Cuizon said that it is a form of discrimination if the driver and conductor will not accommodate disabled persons because they are protected under Republic Act 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons.

“If there is a complaint, we can adjudicate in a hearing proper and impose penalties on the operators, drivers and conductors,” Cuizon said.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development described PWDs as persons “suffering from restriction or different abilities as a result of a mental or physical impairment to perform an activity in the manner within the range considered normal for a human being.”

During the time of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, he issued Presidential Decree 344 ordering any person to vacate the front passenger seat of a PUJ if a PWD rides the PUJ.

Meanwhile, LTFRB Board Member Antonio “Ariel” Enrile-Inton Jr. said that in Manila, two bus companies, Green Star Express Inc. and LLI Bus Company Inc., were fined P50,000 for failure to designate seats for PWDs.

The bus drivers and conductors were also fined P5,000 each for discriminating against PWDs.

Inton said the complainants submitted a mobile phone video to prove that the drivers and conductors ignored their condition while non-PWD passengers enjoyed sitting on the seats.

“I call on bus operators to be PWD-friendly and not to wait for our team to inspect them or to serve them summons for discriminating persons with disabilities,” Inton said.