A 30-day suspension has been imposed on the franchise of the Bicol Intercity Transport Cooperative, while a 90-day suspension has been imposed on the truck driver’s license after the fatal road crash in Albay.
These orders were announced by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday.
The road crash occurred between the 10-wheeler truck and the UV express van at the Maharlika Highway in Camalig on Wednesday morning, which resulted in 11 fatalities and three injuries, the DOTr said.
Initial investigation indicated that the truck lost its brakes. It collided with the van coming from the opposite direction, and crushed the other vehicle, the department reported.
Albay police chief Police Col. Noel Nuñez told Inquirer in a text message that the van, carrying 14 passengers, was traveling from Guinobatan to Camalig when the truck driver in lost control of the wheels. According to the DOTr, the suspension was enforced by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) the same day the disaster happened.
The LTFRB took control of the 10 land transportation vehicles of the cooperative, stating that it violated the conditions of the Terms and Conditions of Certificate of Public Convenience.
The suspended units will also undergo a roadworthiness test, the LTFRB said.
Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) issued a show-cause order against truck driver Recson Zamora and the registered owner Miguel Cerdeno.
Zamora may face charges for reckless driving, the LTO said. Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez sent his sympathies to the families of the victims, promising that those responsible will be held liable.
‘We at DOTr extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. There is no greater pain than losing a loved one. I assure the families of the victims that we will hold those responsible for this road crash accountable,’ Lopez said in a statement on Thursday.