[ ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 30-2009, July 19, 2004 ]

[ ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 30-2009, July 19, 2004 ]

[ ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCULAR NO. 30-2009, July 19, 2004 ]

PRESCRIBING THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ON THE OPERATION OF THE SUPREME COURT SHUTTLE BUSES

In a Resolution dated 12 September 1995 in A.M. No. 95-9-09-SC Re: Request of the Supreme Court Employees Association for the purchase of Shuttle Buses, the Court En Banc approved the request to alleviate the transportation problems of the employees.

In order to rationalize the use and operation of the buses and ensure that the delivery of public service by Court officials and employees would not be hampered or affected, bus riders, coordinators and bus drivers must strictly adhere to the following rules and regulations which the Supreme Court Shuttle Bus Committee has recommended:

SECTION 1. Who may avail of the services of the shuttle buses. - As a general rule, only Supreme Court employees (including those of the PET, OCA, PHILJA and the JBC) are allowed to ride in the shuttle buses. Persons who are not Supreme Court employees may be accommodated only when all the Supreme Court employees have boarded and there are still slots/seats available for other riders.

SEC. 2. Use of buses . - The shuttle buses are to be used only for official purposes. However, upon request and on recommendation of the Shuttle Bus Committee and approval of the Chief Justice, they may be used for out-of-town activities of the different offices of the Court and of associations of employees in the Court, subject to payment of reasonable fees to be determined by the Shuttle Bus Committee and approved by the Chief Justice, unless the Chief Justice grants an exemption from the payment of fees as may be justified by attendant circumstances. The Shuttle Bus Committee shall also prepare a request form for such out-of-town use of the shuttle buses, which shall incorporate other pertinent terms and conditions to be followed by the out-of-town users.

SEC. 3. Bus route . - There shall be designated pick-up points and drop-off points for each bus route which are listed in "Annex A" hereof. The list of pick-up and drop-off points may be revised from time to time upon recommendation or suggestion of the driver, coordinator and/or bus riders and approval by the Shuttle Bus Committee. The Shuttle Bus Committee may also revise bus routes and destinations as the needs arise, taking into consideration the maximization of the number of employees to be benefited by the shuttle bus services and the capacity of the buses. No deviation in the official route shall be allowed except upon prior approval by the Committee, unless there is an extreme urgency and necessity, such as, but not limited to, the occurrence of mass demonstrations, traffic re-routing, accidents, parades or processions, floods or any other natural calamity. Heavy traffic alone should not in any instance be a reason to deviate from the official route.

The official bus routes and their corresponding pick-up and drop-off points shall be posted in conspicuous places by the Shuttle Bus Committee.

SEC. 4. Bus fares . - Bus fares will be fixed at reasonable rates subject to readjustments based on prevailing circumstances such as oil price increase, cost of maintenance and prevailing rates of public conveyance. In case other court employees, such as lower court employees, are accommodated in the shuttle buses, they shall pay the same rates as those paid by Supreme Court employees. However, non-court employees shall be covered by other payment rates. The fare rates for court employees and non-court employees are respectively indicated opposite each pick-up and dropoff point listed in "Annex A" hereof.

SEC. 5. Purchase of tickets . - The NO TICKET-NO RIDE policy will be strictly enforced. Bus tickets shall be purchased at the Satellite Office of the Cash Collection and Disbursement Division, FMBO, at the New SC Building.

SEC. 6. Seat assignments. - Seat assignments shall be assigned by raffle which shall be conducted by the Shuttle Bus Committee at least once a week.

The mechanics of the raffle shall be provided for by the Shuttle Bus Committee.

Queuing to board the buses shall be in accordance with the seat assignments obtained by raffle. Those who have seat assignments shall be the first to board the buses, followed by those without seat assignments. Non-court employees shall be the last to board the buses.

SEC. 7. Boarding/departure time. - Buses shall leave their terminals in the mornings not earlier that 5:30 a.m. but not later than 5:45 a.m. Boarding time after office hours shall start at 4:35 p.m. except during early dismissals. Buses shall depart for their destinations at 4:45 p.m.

SEC. 8. Duties of bus riders. - Bus riders shall have the following duties:

(1) To purchase bus tickets corresponding to their destinations. Any bus rider who presents a ticket which costs less than the distance of his/her travel will be subject to suspension of his/her benefit to ride the bus for a period to be determined by the Shuttle Bus Committee.

(2) To follow the seat assignments, based on the results of the raffle, which are non-transferable.

(3) To maintain the cleanliness of the buses. Any act of vandalism, such as destruction of any part of the bus must be brought to the attention of the Shuttle Bus Committee for appropriate action. In this regard, bus riders, drivers and coordinators are enjoined to submit a written report thereon to the Shuttle Bus Committee within 24 hours from the commission of the act of vandalism.

(4) Not to leave their work stations earlier than the close of official working hours (e.g. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) for the purpose of securing seats in the shuttle buses. Any bus rider found to have left his work station before the close of his official working hours to get a seat in the shuttle bus will be subject to disciplinary action.

(5) To observe at all times utmost courtesy and respect toward the drivers, coordinators and fellow passengers.

(6) Not to interfere with the discretion of the bus drivers with regard to the operation of the bus, or not to encourage bus drivers to violate traffic rules or to take a course of action which may be unsafe to or endanger the lives of the passengers.

SEC. 9. Duties of bus coordinators . - The bus coordinators, who shall be designated by the Shuttle Bus Committee, shall have the following duties:

(1) To observe courtesy, honesty and patience in the performance of their functions as coordinators.

(2) Lead by example, particularly in observing the designated pick-up and drop-off points of the official routes.

(3) To adhere strictly to the rules on raffle of seats.

(4) Together with the drivers, to open the buses only at 4:35 p.m., except during early dismissals; and to see to it that employees who have seat assignments shall be the first to board the buses, followed by those without seat assignments and then non-court employees.

(5) To maintain discipline among bus riders.

(6) To occupy the seat near the door.

(7) To maintain a logbook wherein the bus riders register their names, pick-up/drop-off points and amounts of tickets paid.

(8) To inspect and audit tickets received by the drivers, as well as seat assignments of riders and enforce the "NO TICKET NO RIDE" policy. The number of tickets must correspond to the number of passengers.

(9) To oversee not only the performance of the drivers, but also their behavior and those of the bus riders, with the end in view of ensuring the safety of the passengers.

SEC. 10. Duties of bus drivers. - The bus drivers shall have the following duties:

(1) To transport Supreme Court employees to and from the Court. They shall pick up and drop off passengers at officially designated pick-up/drop-off points only.

(2) To collect tickets from bus riders who shall give the same to them before boarding and submit collected tickets to the coordinator. Together with the coordinator, they shall enforce the "NO TICKET NO RIDE" policy.

(3) To maintain cleanliness of the shuttle buses assigned to them and to keep in shape custody and take good care of the vehicles' tools and accessories; and, in coordination with the bus coordinators, report to the Shuttle Bus Committee any dent, defect or sign of malfunction or disorder detected in the vehicles they are driving, before 12:00 noon of the immediately succeeding working day.

(4) To clean the buses in the morning (4:30 to 5:00 a.m.) and upon arrival in the parking area (8:00 to 9:00 a.m.) everyday.

(5) To report at the Motorpool Section to sign in the logbook after cleaning the buses and to go back to the parking area (Paco Park) only at 3:00 p.m.

(6) Not to allow any rider to board the bus in any other place except at the Court premises and to strictly enforce the boarding time of 4:35 p.m., except during early and/or late dismissals or in some instances, upon instruction of the Chairperson of the Shuttle Bus Committee.

(7) To perform and discharge their duties with utmost courtesy to the bus riders, their fellow motorists, traffic enforcers and the general public; avoid any act of recklessness which may unnecessarily put in danger not only their respective buses, but more importantly, the lives and limbs of their passengers, the pedestrians and other road users; and to avoid any act of impropriety which may tarnish the image of the Court.

(8) To prepare the trip ticket forms; trips shall be allowed only upon due accomplishment and submission thereof.

(9) To accomplish trip tickets in two (2) copies, one (1) copy to be surrendered to the guard on duty during departure, and the other copy to be retained by the driver who shall submit the forms eveiy Monday for audit purposes.

(10) To wear the prescribed uniforms provided by the Court.

(11) To submit invoices/receipts for gasoline and miscellaneous expenses to Mrs. Emilia Sityar, SC Supervising Judicial Staff Officer, Cash Division, FMBO, or to any one designated by the Shuttle Bus Committee in her stead, within 24 hours from the day the expenses were incurred, or within the next working day, if the expenses were incurred on a Friday.

(12) In cases of vehicular accidents, together with the coordinators, to obtain a police report and immediately report the matter to the Shuttle Bus Committee for documentation purposes of insurance coverage.

(13) To park the buses at the Halls of Justice of their farthest destinations. Drivers are not allowed to park their buses near their residence and/or other places not designated by the Shuttle Bus Committee.

SEC. 11. Discipline of the bus drivers. - Bus drivers, like the rest of the court personnel, are expected to observe the norms of ethics and conduct of public officials and employees. They shall comply with all office rules and regulations.

Disciplinary action may be taken against the Shuttle Bus Driver on any of the following grounds:

(a) Dishonesty

(b) Falsification of official documents

(c) Driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol

(d) Stealing parts/accessories of the buses

(e) Insubordination

(fj Frequent unauthorized absences or tardiness in reporting for duty

(g) Misconduct/Acts of breach of good faith

(h) Reckless driving

(i) Gambling/Drinking alcoholic beverages during office hours

(j) Neglect of Duty

(k) Discourtesy in the course of official duties

(1) Using the buses as "hang-outs" or sleeping quarter, and

(m) Any other grounds prescribed by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

SEC. 12. Disciplining authority . - The Office of Administrative Services has the initiatory authority to discipline shuttle bus drivers. It may recommend to the Court early termination or non-renewal of their appointments or the imposition of other disciplinary sanctions.

SEC. 13 . Auditing procedures - Sale of tickets shall be handled by the Cash Division of the FMBO and the income thereof shall be held in trust by Mrs. Emilia Sityar of said Division who has likewise the sole authority to disburse it for the purchase of fuel and other incidental expenses. In case of her absence, an employee from the Cash Division may be duly designated to perform said functions.

Mrs. Sityar or any one designated to act during her absence shall submit to the Shuttle Bus Committee a monthly report of the collections and expenses pertaining to the shuttle service, attaching thereto supporting documents.

The Shuttle Bus Committee shall submit the audited financial report to the Office of the Chief Justice, for information and guidance.

SEC. 14. Shuttle Bus Committee. - The Shuttle Bus Committee was organized to properly administer, manage and maintain the SC Shuttle Buses, oversee their use, and supervise the conduct of the users thereof to ensure that official working hours would not be affected.

To effectively implement its mandate, all matters/problems pertaining to the use and management of the Shuttle Buses must be exclusively coursed through the Shuttle Bus Committee for submission to the Office of the Chief Justice. Towards this end, all matters/activities pertaining to the operation of the shuttle buses such as, but not limited to, designation of coordinators and preparation of tickets shall henceforth be undertaken exclusively by the Shuttle Bus Committee.

SEC. 15 . Implementing committee. - The Shuttle Bus Committee shall implement this Administrative Circular.

SEC. 16. Date ofeffectivily. - This Administrative Circular shall take effect upon its issuance.

Issued this 19 th day of July 2004.

HILARIO G. DAVIDE

Cheif Justice

Copy furnished: Office of the Chief Justice Office of the Associate Justices The Court Administrator Philippine Judicial Academy The Office of Administrative Services, SC The Fiscal Management Office and Budget Office The MISO The PMO The PIO THE SHUTTLE BUS COMMITTEE