It didn’t take a law or a ruling from the LTFRB to force some responsible bus companies to start fitting speed limiters on their fleet of busses. Initially, it was done for safety, they said. But now they are finding out that it is not only lives that they are saving.
Victory’s shop supervisor, Brix Macalinao, tells me in a candid interview that since they have started installing speed limiters on their fleet they are finding other benefits, such as much lower compensation figures due to accidents, and significant savings in operating costs as well.
“Since we installed these devices, not only would I say we have had less accidents, but we have also seen a substantial saving in fuel.”
When asked if 10% was a fair figure, Macalinao immediately replied by saying, “Oh yes. At least.”
When you take into account that there are 5700 busses plying EDSA alone, it solves two major problems in one hit. But still, the Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines (PBOAP) finds it a little fishy.
"A class legislation without consultation would make it arbitrary and subject to suspicion to the public. We look forward to a public hearing on this matter" PBOAP president, Alex Yage was quoted in a text message.
So if all it took was a public hearing, I decided to have one. Albeit informal. I conducted a poll and asked 100 people to chose. Here are the results.
According to some suppliers, a speed limiter costs anywhere from $180-$400 USD. Now I know you cannot place a price on a life, but seeing that our government peg it at 75,000 pesos, or $1,660USD, if the only argument is cost, if a speed limiter saves just one life, they have gotten their money back 8 fold.
As I type this piece, another 14 people just died in Bontoc, Mountain Province, when a Florida Bus TXT 872 fell into a ravine. But let’s keep ‘studying’ the limiters just in case we’re the only country in the world that can find something wrong with having them.
**Victory are not the only ones taking the initiative here. We’ve heard from the LTFRB that companies like Jam and 5-star are also fitting them as standard.
