After inspecting bus terminals recently as the Senate Chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, Senator Raffy Tulfo conducted a random surprise inspection at the motorpool of various bus companies in Metro Manila.
Tulfo was accompanied by personnel of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“Mahalaga ang pag-iinspect sa mga motorpool ng mga public utility bus sapagkat dito isinasagawa ang preventive maintenance at pagkumpuni sa mga bus upang makita na rin kung tama ba ang pamamaraan ng ginagawa nilang maintenance at pagkukumpuni – kasama na rito kung certified ba ang kanilang mga mekaniko,” the legislator said.
“Nakita ko ang kaawa-awang kalagayan ng mga mekaniko.”
“Dito bumulaga sa akin ang samu’t-saring violations. Una, bilang Vice Chairman din ng Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, nakita ko ang kaawa-awang kalagayan ng mga mekaniko,” the lawmaker added.
For one, the senator said he noticed that all of the motorpools he visited lacked proper safety gear for its workers.
For instance, in one motorpool, he shared the machines and equipment used for bus maintenance were filthy and lacked safety covers. Tulfo added that the electrical lines were tangled and some were haphazardly tapped.
“Ito ay lubhang mapanganib at takaw aksidente para sa mga trabahador dahil maaari silang masugatan, maputulan ng daliri, makuryente o mabulag,” he stressed.
Tulfo said the workers also lacked gloves, work boots, aprons, and safety goggles.
He then asked the motorpool managers to present TESDA certifications for their mechanics, but most of them had none. Although some bus companies were partially compliant with TESDA requirements, their training procedures were outdated, according to the TESDA representative who joined the inspection.
Tulfo likewise shared that other bus companies had no proper preventive maintenance or warranty booklets for each bus unit, which would make inspections by LTFRB and other agencies more difficult, adding that some did have complete digital records, but only partial compliance in terms of TESDA certification.
“Mahalaga ang TESDA certification dahil dito itinuturo sa kanila ang tamang pag-handle ng vehicle maintenance.”
“Mahalaga ang TESDA certification dahil dito itinuturo sa kanila ang tamang pag-handle ng vehicle maintenance para sa kaligtasan hindi lamang ng mga pasahero pero maging sa mga mekaniko na rin,” he said.
Tulfo also noticed that one motorpool had an underchassis or service pit with no safety markings, creating a risk for workers who might trip. He stressed that said motorpool also lacked proper ventilation, and the area was extremely hot, causing workers to inhale various chemical fumes which is a long-term health hazard.
Lastly, Tulfo gave all motorpool managers a deadline to comply and submit the maintenance and compliance records of each bus unit to the LTFRB, LTO, and TESDA. These agencies, in turn, will forward the records to Tulfo for the upcoming Senate hearings of his committee.
