Another Bus Accident

[Jake]

I'm wondering if the pedestrian (50 year old woman) is one of those people here who wander along the sides or cross the road with their back to the traffic, obliviously to any hazards.

WARNING -- RANT ALERT

 

Unfortunately, I have seen many times that people walking along the roadside are oblivious to any moving traffic

from any direction.  People wearing dark clothing walking-staggering home from a town fiesta at night is a case

in point.  I have also seen pedestrians, including young children crossing the street without looking left or right.

It's like jumping into a pool without first checking if there's water in it.  They walk like they drive......

 

Regarding bus-truck-tricycle-car-jeepney drivers......all of them should be periodically tested for drugs (shabu),

especially the ones responsible for public transportation.  The more runs they make, for example Olongapo to

Manila and the more passengers they can carry, often times beyond the max weight allowance -- is a train wreck

waiting to happen.  It's an open secret they are high on shabu (meth) in order to stay alert to the very last run of

the day.  Routine and mandatory maintenance.....forget about it.  Enforcement from LTO and highway patrol units

is a total joke. 

 

It's also an open secret that they are encouraged to finish off the pedestrian.  It's more cost effective for the bus

owners to pay off funeral cost, rather than long term medical bills.  Life is cheap in the Philippines.  

 

OK, back to original scheduled program -- Jake

Edited April 29, 2014 by Jake
spil chek

[Thomas]

I was in a bus accident between Cebu and Alcoy last year. It didn't appear to be the bus drivers fault. An oncoming truck slid into our lane just enough to shear off the outside mirror.

Most Filipins highways are to small, very narrow, so not odd there are accidents, because of it's very short of space even when drivers drive perfect, when bus/truck meet bus/truck. And the holes in the roads don't make it easier...

[Call me bubba]

the start of the story was about VICTORY LINER BUS,

in my opinion and what i have read about this firm, It has been one of the SAFEST maybe in the top 5 in terms of safety

1. drivers dont drive crazy or wild..

2, the tires always look good shape...

meaning it still have tread life left unlike others..thats when i have been by the station or when i have seen them on the road

Personally I have NEVER rode Victory Liner as its not in my traffic/travel plans. IF i did travel to the place where they go to,

IT WOULD be my 1st and only choice,,,,,,,,,,,,

Edited May 1, 2014 by Pittman apartments Sgn

[Tukaram (Tim)]

They keep talking about putting speed limiting governors on the buses... and they keep not doing it!   :tiphat:

[Malcolm Graham]

Well there was a news report about a petition starting by a motor writer, James Deakin,  It would seem from the news report some bus companies are already voluntarily fitting limiters Victory being one of them.  Here's his web page http://jamesdeakin.ph/deakin-article-bus-companies-start-installing-speed-limiters.php

[OnMyWay]

the start of the story was about VICTORY LINER BUS,

in my opinion and what i have read about this firm, It has been one of the SAFEST maybe in the top 5 in terms of safety

1. drivers dont drive crazy or wild..

2, the tires always look good shape...

meaning it still have tread life left unlike others..thats when i have been by the station or when i have seen them on the road

Personally I have NEVER rode Victory Liner as its not in my traffic/travel plans. IF i did travel to the place where they go to,

IT WOULD be my 1st and only choice,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

I meant to mention this when I first posted.  I have been on Victory Liner a few times and they seem relatively well run, and the buses, from what I can see, seem relatively well maintained.  They tout themselves as the "safe" bus line.

 

In the case of this Olongapo accident, it apparently was caused by a now expired pedestrian.  If a pedestrian here does something extraordinarily stupid that puts them in the path of a bus, there is not much the bus driver can do to stop quickly or swerve.  You might think that the bus driver should practice defensive driving, but how would that work here?  The pedestrians walk just a few inches from the path of vehicles, with their back to traffic, (half the time texting!) and they expect the traffic to avoid them.   If a bus driver defensively slowed every time he encountered a pedestrian close to the path of his bus, he would never get anywhere here.

 

I spoke to our neighbor who was on the bus, but he does not speak much English.   He had an inner upper thigh injury when the bus rolled.  He seems fine now.  He and the other passengers are lucky it was not worse, as I am sure most did not have seat belts.

[cebu rocks]

The busses i have been on scare me although i have noticed that the ceres busses have slowed downed a lot since 09 they used to be the worst but now the mini busses are the most dangerous

I finally broke down and bought a car and will not get on a bus again i feel much safer in control vs at the whim of over tired drug addled employee

But traveling anywhere by any means here is taking your life in your hands its still the wild wild west in many ways

From trycicads to boats watch out be aware look at the tires before boarding look at the driver

I have a video somewhere i took of a trip to Moalboal the people in the middle seats could not stay seated I yelled slow down at which point everyone started yelling at the driver

When I got off he looked right out of it (shabu)

Be careful on them death traps

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tukaram (Tim)]

The vans drive worse than the buses around here.  We rode a van from Antique to Iloilo one time and I refused to do it again.  Ceres is not very good but better than the little vans! 

 

On the buses I hate how much they overcrowd them.  They will put 3 people on the 2 seats, and then fill up the aisle with plastic stools for more to sit on.  I spread out enough so they never try to stick a 3rd person in the row with me and my girlfriend.  :tiphat:

[Call me bubba]

On the buses I hate how much they overcrowd them. They will put 3 people on the 2 seats, and then fill up the aisle with plastic stools for more to sit on.

I spread out enough so they never try to stick a 3rd person in the row with me and my girlfriend.

 

have you considered buying a 3rd seat? when me and my child travel either bus or FX van,

we will buy that extra seat to give us that EXTRA space.  as it solves some (if not all) of the space and overcrowding issues.

 that extra 40-80p is the best spent when traveling on a sardine can i mean public transport

[Jake]

 

On the buses I hate how much they overcrowd them. They will put 3 people on the 2 seats, and then fill up the aisle with plastic stools for more to sit on.

I spread out enough so they never try to stick a 3rd person in the row with me and my girlfriend.

 

have you considered buying a 3rd seat? when me and my child travel either bus or FX van,

we will buy that extra seat to give us that EXTRA space.  as it solves some (if not all) of the space and overcrowding issues.

 that extra 40-80p is the best spent when traveling on a sardine can i mean public transport

 

I'm sorry to say that doesn't work most of the time.  By the time the bus conductor reaches your position to

enforce your extra seat privilege, some old lady will scoop her butt over next to you.  I never heard anyone

asking if that seat is taken.  They will move right over and you immediately have to reposition your backpacks

down to the floor.  Here is an old post of mine regarding my experience riding in a local mini bus from Manila

to Olongapo: http://www.philippines-expats.com/topic/17735-travelling-by-bus-around-cebu-island/#entry109998

 

I agree the Victory Liner in southern Luzon area are well maintained and the drivers are well behave.  After

all, many foreign tourists visit the golden triangle of Baguio, Angeles City and Olongapo.  Also many popular

surfing camps along the whole western coast of Luzon.  Not to mention that Clark international airport totally

bypasses the rat race of Manila.  

 

Respectfully -- Jake