Aside from the suspension order, the company is also facing legal liability over the accident.
In a meeting with bus companies on Friday, May 2, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon disclosed that he had instructed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to file criminal charges against the bus driver and the bus company involved in the deadly road accident at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
The bus is owned by the Pangasinan Solid North bus compamy, which resulted to 10 deaths and at least 37 injuries of both motorists and passengers on Thursday, May 1.
“There are both administrative consequences, and in the case of death and injuries, criminal consequences. For the bus company involved yesterday, pasensyahan po tayo. I’ve asked the officials here to file the necessary criminal charges against the bus company and the bus driver involved in the accident yesterday,” Dizon said.
As a result of this, tbe Department of Transportation (DOTr) has also suspended entire fleet of Pangasinan Solid North Transit, Inc. has been suspended for 30 days while the investigation is ongoing.
To prevent similar incidents, the transport chief also ordered a thorough review of existing road safety protocols and directed bus companies to ensure their drivers are fit to drive.
“Clearly, the status quo is not working. We have all failed, government and bus companies, we have all failed the commuting public and we all have to share the burden and do something about it,” Secretary Dizon noted.