Holy Week travel: Bus drivers’ health condition being checked

MANILA, Philippines—Provincial bus drivers with high blood pressure will not be allowed to take on their duties, a transportation and communications officer said Wednesday.

Efren Limbo, who oversees the assistance desk of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Investigation Security and Law Enforcement Staff, told Inquirer.net that they have been checking the physical condition of bus drivers at the Araneta Bus Terminal since Tuesday. The terminal is the hub of road travels to various points in the Bicol Region and the Visayas. He said that they wanted to ensure that bus drivers are healthy enough for hours of travel to various provinces.

Five bus drivers have so far been disallowed to drive since Tuesday after their blood pressure failed to normalize after taking medicine, Limbo said.

He said drivers with blood pressure reaching 160 and over were given medicine and asked to rest, and if their conditions did not improve after a second check, they were asked to refrain from driving.

As of lunch time Wednesday, Limbo stated that they have tested almost 100 drivers, five of whom were told not to drive. “Maraming aksidente ang nangyayari na ang sanhi ay nahihilo ’yong mga bus driver (Many accidents occur because bus drivers experience dizziness),” he said.

Limbo said that their operations will continue until around 11 p.m. on Wednesday. He added that bus drivers, who are scheduled for three trips would be checked before every journey.