JELL transit's franchise suspended after death of 3-year-old girl

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has suspended for a month the franchise of JELL Transit, a bus of which killed a three-year-old girl on Monday. A one-month suspension comes automatically whenever a bus figures in a road accident, LTFRB chairman Alberto Suansing told GMANews.TV in a phone interview on Tuesday. "I already signed an order for the suspension of one of JELL Transit's franchises. The suspension is effective immediately and I expect them to turn over the plates of their 75 units in two days," Suansing said. The young girl was with her mother crossing a pedestrian lane in front of the Philippine National Police Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City when the road accident happened. Witnesses said the mother and daughter were already waving their hands to the incoming bus but the driver failed to notice them. The girl was crushed to death while her mother, Christine Jumabon, 28, injured her left arm. The mother was brought to the PNP General Hospital. With the suspension of operations at their Camarin, Caloocan terminal, JELL is left with seven franchises. Suansing said the bus firm operates over 200 buses. The LTFRB chief also said that while under suspension, the bus company will undergo investigation and its officials will be summoned "to show cause why their franchise should not be canceled and that they were not remiss with their duties." In a separate interview with GMANews.TV, former LTFRB chief Thompson Lantion said the bus firm will also be subjected under a "performance audit." [See: Govt mulls stiffer penalties on reckless drivers] "Titignan kung may capability pa sila na ipagpatuloy ang operations nila o kung babawasan ang permit sa kanila (Their capability to operate will be assessed to know if their permits should be restricted)," Lantion told GMANews.TV. The Land Transportation Office is also studying if there are sufficient grounds to take away the license of driver Mario Villamar. The driver risks having his license suspended for six months to one year. [See: LTO mulls stricter qualifications for license applicants] Lantion said Villamar will also be facing homicide charges. He said the family of the little girl are assured of financial assistance since bus companies are covered by insurance. "Binabayaran kaagad dapat ang biktima sa loob ng limang araw (Victims are supposed to get insurance within five days)," he said. Monday's road incident involving a JELL bus was already the third for the company, following bus accidents that led to the death of an employee of the Philippine Tourism Authority in Manila last April and a man along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. "Iimbestigahan talaga natin iyan kasi sa pedestrian na nga nangyari eh pero mabilis pa rin siya magpatakbo," Lantion said. Suansing said drivers of JELL transit would be undergoing a training program in coordination with the University of the Philippines and the Automobile Association of the Philippines. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV