Pursuant to DOTC Department Order No. 97-1051 reimposing the "Bus Flexibility Rule" subject to strict conditions and guidelines and with sanctions against its abuse, provincial and Metro Manila bus operators are hereby allowed to temporarily shift their duly authorized and registered buses from their authorized lines under valid and subsisting Certificates of Public Convenience to their other duly authorized lines to meet the exigencies of commuter demand, subject to the following conditions and guidelines:

1.         Metro Manila bus operators with duly authorized provincial routes are not authorized to shift their Metro Manila authorized buses to their duly authorized provincial lines and vice-versa except on the special occasions of All Saints Day, Christmas season and Holy Week to the extent of fifty (50) percent of the authorized units thereof. All other occasions shall require special permit from the Board.

2.         Provincial bus operators are allowed to temporarily shift their duly authorized and registered buses from their duly authorized provincial lines to their other duly authorized provincial lines to meet the exigencies of commuter demand (a) without abandoning the lines from where their buses are diverted.

3.         Metro Manila bus operators are allowed to temporarily shift their duly authorized and registered buses from their duly authorized Metro Manila lines to other Metro Manila lines also authorized to them to meet the exigencies of commuter demand, provided that (a) lines from where their buses are diverted should not be abandoned, (b) only to the extent of twenty five (25) percent of the total number of authorized units on the lines/CPC ™s from where the buses are diverted shall be shifted at any given time to other Metro Manila authorized lines, and (c) no buses authorized to operate outside EDSA shall be allowed to operate along the authorized route covering EDSA. However, buses authorized along EDSA may be allowed to operate on authorized routes outside EDSA.

Bus operators who are members of transport associations like the PBOAP, NORLUTRA, CAVALBOA, SOLUBOA, AND IMBOA, are encouraged to police their ranks by calling the attention of those violating this Memo Circular and reporting the said violators to this Board for the application of the appropriate sanctions after summoning the offending bus operators/firms concerned for investigation and imposition of the appropriate penalties, as the case may be, consisting of stern warning for the first offense, suspension of CPC for the second offense and for the third offense, cancellation of the CPC ™s of the buses violating this memo circular.

This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately and supersedes any and all issuances inconsistent herewith.

Adopted: 14 May 1997