Expired meds in school bus’ first aid kits prompt warning

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 ordered school bus transport services to replace expired medicines in their first aid kits and fix loose seatbelts.

LTFRB 7 Director Ahmed Cuizon said that the agency will inspect these vehicles again before the start of classes in other schools next week. School buses that fall short of these requirements will not be allowed to operate.

Under Joint Administrative Order 2014-001, the fines for violators will be P5,000 for the first offense; P10,000 and impounding of the unit for 30 days for the second offense; and P15,000 and cancellation of franchise for the third and subsequent offenses, the director said.

Cuizon said there are 328 school transport units in Region 7 and around 250 units operate in Cebu.

“Of all these school transport vehicles, only a few of the units had problems,” Cuizon said.

Most of those inspected units belong to Cebu Institute of Technology University (CIT-U), Southwestern University (SWU) and University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R).

New units, please

In the past years, the LTFRB announced that it would phase out school vehicles 15 years old and older, under the transport modernization program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Cuizon said that universities, colleges and other schools, as well as car pool operators, must acquire new units so they can be issued franchises. School buses must keep first aid kits in case of emergencies, good seatbelts to secure riders, and a fire extinguisher in each unit.

In a related development, the Cebu City Council’s committee on laws said the City cannot regulate motorcycle taxis, a common form of transportation for students and workers alike, in the absence of a national law. (Story, A7).