Dizon orders sweeping review of road safety policies

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon. Photo from DOTr Facebook page.

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will form a special task force to review road safety policies and procedures and implement reforms aimed at reducing road accidents.

DOTr chief Vince Dizon announced the formation of the task force in a press conference on Wednesday.

“Effective today, I am announcing the creation of a special task force to do a sweeping review of all our road safety policies and procedures,” he said.

READ: Poe tells LTFRB, LTO to conduct regular random drug test on drivers

Dizon added that the special task force will be composed of officials from the DOTr, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

“We should take road safety seriously because big vehicles like buses and trucks are deadly. If they hit you, you can’t do anything,” Dizon said in Filipino.

“And clearly, the policies and process now are not effective,” he added.

Complementing Dizon’s initiative, LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II also announced their plan to form a team dedicated to addressing issues concerning drug and alcoholism among drivers.

This came after Mendoza announced the suspension of 671 drivers for either testing positive for drugs or their involvement in road crash incidents.

Of this figure, the LTO chief said, 574 drivers were suspended because of “road crash incidents resulting in slight physical injuries or death,” while 97 tested positive for drugs.

For the Holy Week, the Department of Health recorded 383 cases of road traffic, five resulting in deaths in motorcycle accidents.