DOTr chief: Road safety system broken, licensing reforms needed

Investigators inspect the scene where a vehicle rammed into a section of the departure area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, killing a girl and a 29-year-old man on Sunday. (INQUIRER / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)

MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has admitted that the system meant to ensure road safety is broken, adding that there would be several reforms initiated to address the increasing number of vehicular accidents in the country.

Dizon, in a press briefing on Monday, said he was directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to do what had to be done so that relatives of people who died in recent accidents would get justice.

“I have been directed by the President to act and to fix it, and that is what we will do — this is the true justice that we can all give, the government can give to the 12 people who have died these past few days and to all others who have also died or have been injured by road accidents in the past,” Dizon told reporters at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) office in San Juan City.

“Because the system is broken, kami po nandito kami sa gobyerno, nandito ang LTO (Land Transportation Office), nandito ang LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board), nandito ang DOTr, it’s broken, we have to admit that, we have to fix it, and ‘yon po ang totoong hustisya na ibibigay natin sa mga pamilyang namatayan, para di na tayo matakot sa sarili nating kalye,” he added.

(Because the system is broken, we in the government, the LTO, the LTFRB, and the DOTr know that it’s broken; we have to admit that, we have to fix it, and that is the true justice that we could give the bereaved families, so that we don’t have to fear being on the road.)

Dizon said he has instructed the LTO and LTFRB to come up with a set of recommendations to tighten existing regulations on public utility vehicle (PUV) operation, as well as in securing driver’s licenses.

He also admitted that there have been lapses in the implementation of tests for driver’s license applications, with applicants being able to bribe examiners for clues during written exams and practical tests being reduced to merely moving vehicles back and forth.

“Driver training — isa po ito, lokohan din ito eh — driver training and examination, alam naman nating lahat eh.  Ang bus, ang truck, ano ba ang practical exam n’yan?  Atras-abante lang ‘yan eh, ‘di ba?  ‘Di naman totoo ‘yan eh, hindi naman tayo kamukha ng ibang bansa like the US (United States) na ang kailangan talaga practical driving test, meron kang dadaanang course,” Dizon said.

(Driver training — this is another nonsense — driver training and examination; we all know what happens there.  The bus, the truck, what is the practical exam involved?  They just move it forward and backward.  We do not have a true practical driving test that is similar to the one implemented in other countries like the US, where they have to navigate a particular course.)

When asked if this means getting or renewing licenses would be more stringent, Dizon replied in the affirmative.

Earlier, the DOTr chief announced that he would sign a department order within the day, which would require PUV drivers to undergo drug testing every 90 days. 

According to Dizon, he came up with the directive after hearing news that the Solid North bus driver involved in the fatal Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) did not want to be subjected to drug testing.

Aside from the drug tests, Dizon said that the LTFRB will also reduce the number of hours that a PUV driver can drive continuously without breaks, from the current six hours to four hours.

For routes that will require over four hours, Dizon said that bus companies are now required to provide a backup driver, and not merely a conductor.

Regular roadworthiness of PUVs will also be conducted through an “enforceable” motor vehicle inspection system (MVIS).

“I have the LTO and the LTFRB to come up with very strict and enforceable, and regular road-worthiness checks, similar to the standards of other countries.  We do not have to reinvent processes; it’s there. We just have to look at neighboring countries,” he said.

“But the important thing is it’s enforceable […] If needed, because I know we lack the MVIS equipment, for me, if we lack that and the government cannot do everything, we should just outsource it.  The LTO cannot possibly accurately check hundreds or thousands of buses, PUVs, PUJs, motorcycle taxis.  It’s impossible,” he added.

Several road accidents have been reported recently, leading to concerns among netizens about whether the country’s streets are still safe. 

Last May 1, at least 10 died while over 30 were injured after the Solid North bus rammed a van and a sports utility vehicle that were queuing at the northbound toll plaza of SCTEx’s Tarlac Exit.

READ: DOTr suspends bus firm’s operations after fatal SCTEX crash

Last Sunday, a sport utility vehicle rammed into passengers outside the Ninoy Aquino International Terminal 1, which resulted in two deaths.

READ: Girl, 5, one of two killed in Naia car accident

Last April 23, three individuals were killed while 10 others were hurt after a crash involving six vehicles along Fortune Avenue in Marikina City.