The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued a preventive suspension against Earthstar Express Inc. after one of its buses was involved in a collision along the EDSA busway, injuring 31 passengers.

The Department of Transportation (DoTr) said in a statement that the LTFRB also issued a show cause order to Earthstar Express Inc., requiring the company to explain why its franchise should not be revoked.  

Reports disclosed that the incident occurred Monday evening at the EDSA Carousel Guadalupe Station, where an Earthstar Express Inc. bus collided with an Admiral Transport Inc. bus that was stopped to pick up passengers.

The collision resulted in injuries to 23 passengers from the Earthstar Express Inc. bus and eight passengers from the Admiral Transport Inc. bus.

Meantime, the LTFRB requested the Passenger Accident Management and Insurance Agency, which provides passenger personal accident insurance for public utility vehicles, to cover the hospitalization costs of the injured passengers.  

The Land Transportation Office has also directed the drivers of both bus companies to appear before its Intelligence and Investigation Division on Thursday to explain why they should not be charged with reckless driving and face license revocation.  

“Both drivers’ licenses were also preventively suspended for 90 days,” the DoTr said.