Today's News reported a loaded passenger bus that hit the guardrail of the Skyway (that would be your Interstate Overhead Freeway) and fell more than 40 feet below. There was a report of 3 fatality which included the driver as well as injuries. The bus was reportedly racing with another bus.
Reading the comments on the Yahoo News blamed the driver for either speeding, recklessness and lack of driver training. I think they miss the point and that is, the reason the drivers have to speed is because of the manner in which they are compensated:
1. Almost all drivers plyng Manila's main roads do not receive a fixed salary but instead get a commission based on the total fare revenue collected for the day;
2. This is aggravated further by the way this commission is computed. A driver of a major bus company in Manila told me that the percentage rate of commission is on a graduated scale. Example If the driver reaches P20,000 of total fare revenue for the day, he gets 10% but if he fails to reach P20,000, he only gets 8%.
3. While the intention of the bus company owner is to offer the 10% as an incentive, the driver understands it as a penalty i.e. if he does not reach P20,000, he loses 2%.
4. The 2% is a huge paycut for the driver as a typical driver works only 4 to 5 days a week (the other 3 to 4 days is for him to catch up with sleep)
5. Because he is paid by commission with a penalty paycut, the tendency for the driver is to:
a. Speed-up as he races against other drivers with the same paycut scheme
b. The driver who narrated me how he is compensated admitted that he only gets 3 hours of sleep at best because he has to beat every other bus driver during rush hour crowd at 5am or earlier and ply the route till 2 - 3am just to make the P20,000.
c. There may be lack of buses during rush hour, but there are so many empty and half-empty buses during off-peak hours that a driver has to race the main roads trolling for passengers.
d. It is no surprise that there are reports of drivers on Shabu (or methamphetamine stimulant drug) or drinking a lot of energy drinks (Red bull, Cobra, Sting) with high caffeine just for them to stay awake!
Do not be surprised why there are so many accidents and deaths involving Manila buses, to wit:
1. The bus company owners do not care because in most cases, the driver cannot be found after a bus is involved in an accident.
2. Some drivers told me that in an accident, it is better for the bus company that the passenger dies as compensation for death is a fixed amount unlike an injured passenger that may require medical treatment over a long period of time.
3. Never sit on the empty seat on the right front side of the driver because in the event of an accident as when the bus will hit another bus or wall, the driver will always save himself by letting the right front of the bus hit the other bus or wall.
By the way, I would like to invite you to visit my Sulit Homepage as there are some business opportunities that you guys might be able to help me out with. If you are interested, just click the Sulit Logo below:
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| Bus falls from Skyway above. 3 dead. (courtesy of the Alabang Bulletin) |
Reading the comments on the Yahoo News blamed the driver for either speeding, recklessness and lack of driver training. I think they miss the point and that is, the reason the drivers have to speed is because of the manner in which they are compensated:
1. Almost all drivers plyng Manila's main roads do not receive a fixed salary but instead get a commission based on the total fare revenue collected for the day;
2. This is aggravated further by the way this commission is computed. A driver of a major bus company in Manila told me that the percentage rate of commission is on a graduated scale. Example If the driver reaches P20,000 of total fare revenue for the day, he gets 10% but if he fails to reach P20,000, he only gets 8%.
3. While the intention of the bus company owner is to offer the 10% as an incentive, the driver understands it as a penalty i.e. if he does not reach P20,000, he loses 2%.
4. The 2% is a huge paycut for the driver as a typical driver works only 4 to 5 days a week (the other 3 to 4 days is for him to catch up with sleep)
5. Because he is paid by commission with a penalty paycut, the tendency for the driver is to:
a. Speed-up as he races against other drivers with the same paycut scheme
b. The driver who narrated me how he is compensated admitted that he only gets 3 hours of sleep at best because he has to beat every other bus driver during rush hour crowd at 5am or earlier and ply the route till 2 - 3am just to make the P20,000.
c. There may be lack of buses during rush hour, but there are so many empty and half-empty buses during off-peak hours that a driver has to race the main roads trolling for passengers.
d. It is no surprise that there are reports of drivers on Shabu (or methamphetamine stimulant drug) or drinking a lot of energy drinks (Red bull, Cobra, Sting) with high caffeine just for them to stay awake!
Do not be surprised why there are so many accidents and deaths involving Manila buses, to wit:
1. The bus company owners do not care because in most cases, the driver cannot be found after a bus is involved in an accident.
2. Some drivers told me that in an accident, it is better for the bus company that the passenger dies as compensation for death is a fixed amount unlike an injured passenger that may require medical treatment over a long period of time.
3. Never sit on the empty seat on the right front side of the driver because in the event of an accident as when the bus will hit another bus or wall, the driver will always save himself by letting the right front of the bus hit the other bus or wall.
By the way, I would like to invite you to visit my Sulit Homepage as there are some business opportunities that you guys might be able to help me out with. If you are interested, just click the Sulit Logo below:
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