The people deserve better

Filipinos deserve much, much more than these errant drivers of public utility vehicles who do not have the slightest respect for other people.

Driving along the streets of Metro Manila has become so stressful that sometimes, one cannot help but curse the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for issuing drivers licenses and franchises to PUV drivers and owners who do not have the slightest idea at all about the danger they pose to others.

Owners of passenger jeepneys, tricycles, and taxicabs hire drivers without trying to find out first how these people drive. Some PUV drivers do not even know what the street signs stand for. They load and unload passengers in the middle of the road, oblivious to the traffic they are causing and to the dangers they pose to their own passengers.

Many jeepneys and tricycles do not even undergo preventive maintenance before they ply the streets. Just the other day, in front of my car was a jeepney whose tires were wiggling. Do the owners even care? No not until these PUVs figure in an accident, or worse, kill innocent people. All these drivers care about is that they exceed their boundary and that they are able to make as many trips as possible.

Buses are worse. They are big enough to occupy two lanes when they swerve or when they pickup and unload passengers in the middle of the road. When they are speeding, they not only put in danger the lives of more than 50 passengers, they also endanger other vehicles on the road as well as bystanders. Bus drivers who are on boundary system are always in a hurry, ergo, the accidents.

Government should make boundary system illegal because it is one of the root causes of road accidents involving PUVs.

May I also recommend that people who notice any irregularity involving PUVs, including violation of traffic laws and rules, be allowed to do citizen’s arrest. If that’s not possible, a video submitted to the authorities involving errant PUV drivers  showed be sufficient evidence to suspend their licenses.

The burden of proving innocence should be on the shoulders of the erring PUV driver, because that it is the only way to put a stop to all this madness.

Just take a look at the killer highway that is Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. The speed limit is 60 kph, but when you are driving at 60 kph and other vehicles, mostly buses, are able to overtake you, it is safe to conclude that they are driving over 60 kph.

How can they get away with it? You see, drivers who ply Commonwealth already know where these MMDA guys who hold the speedguns and cameras position themselves – at the footbridge near the Philippine Social Science Center. Before or after reaching these footbridge, drivers can step on the gas and exceed 60 kph.

Another dangerous highway is C5, where vehicles seem to always be on the fast lane.

EDSA appears to be much safer, especially during peak hours because one cannot drive over 40 kph due to the traffic.

Franchise holders should be made to understand that a franchise is a privilege given by government that can be taken away anytime.

There should be a sense of urgency on the part of government to restore the people’s trust and confidence in public transportation. And I am not even talking about the spate of crimes committed by taxi drivers against their passengers. The LTO and the LTFRB, sad to say, are inutile. I cannot imagine how these dilapidated jeepneys are able to renew their registration. There should also be stricter rules when it comes to issuance and renewal of licenses for drivers of PUVs.

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