Transport safety

It is often observed that Filipinos are not safety conscious. Our bahala na mentality writes off accidents as a part of life even if many are avoidable if proper precautions are taken.

We are also not inclined to learn from past accidents. Official investigations of causes of accidents do not always result in new rules to help us avoid repetitions.

Accidents in the transport sector are often due to reckless disregard of basic rules, be it in the streets and highways, on land or at sea, and in the air. But accidents are investigated by the very agencies that failed to implement the rules. Covering up regulatory failure is expected.

It is for these reasons that I have long advocated the creation of a National Transportation Safety Board, an agency independent from all line agencies regulating the transport sector. This is how many countries do it and we should too.

I am happy to learn that after two decades of being considered in Congress, the proposed legislation has been passed by both houses. All that is needed is for a bicameral conference committee to iron out differences in the Senate and House versions.

But interest for the bill is headline driven. It usually increases after a major transportation accident happens. Interest dies down after it is no longer in the public limelight.

It is encouraging that this bill now has the best chance of being enacted into law during this 18th Congress.

The inadequacy or absence of systems to ensure transportation safety is a continuing threat to our lives as local travelers. The numbers are mind boggling.

In 2018, a total of 116,906 road accidents by various types of vehicles in Metro Manila resulted in 394 deaths. There were 3,619 cases due to maritime accidents.

In 2019, there were 121,771 road accidents, with 372 lives lost and 20,466 persons injured. This shows an increase compared to 2018.

The National Capital Region, the seat of government and center of trade and commerce, has 334 road accidents per day or 14 accidents per hour.

In 2020, despite a significant reduction in the number of vehicles with the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown measures and a temporary public transportation ban, Metro Manila averaged 178 road crash accidents per day.

The Metro Manila Accident Reporting and Analysis System (MMARAS) reported a total of 65,032 accidents, with 337 fatalities, 14,465 non-fatalities and 50,230 incurred damage to properties. The highest accident total was recorded in February 2020 with 9,315 incidents.

The continuing occurrence of road crashes at a time when fewer people and vehicles are on the road raises several questions. Is this a simple case of lack of discipline on the roads or is there something wrong with our system?

On the other hand, there may be a lower number of maritime accidents, but there are more fatalities, injured persons, and greater loss of property value.

That is why we need an independent government agency that has the authority to investigate accidents using science-based methods to establish their findings.

Presently, different agencies investigate accidents in different transportation sectors.

The CAAP has authority over aviation disasters.The CAAP director general is mandated by law to organize an Aircraft Accident Investigation and

Inquiry Board (AAIIB), composed of personnel of the authority to investigate aviation-related accidents. But CAAP also regulates the aviation sector.

Sea mishaps are under the MARINA, which forms inquiry boards to investigate major maritime disasters. As for road accidents involving public utility vehicles, the LTFRB has jurisdiction. Road accidents may also be investigated by the PNP, the LTO, and by the MMDA.

However, these agencies are also regulating and/or operating in the respective sectors. Thus, they have to investigate the industry that they regulate and/or operate.

We need an autonomous, dedicated, and independent body to investigate transportation accidents. The board will also be concerned about the safety of the communities living along the transportation highway – be it on land, sea or air.

Hopefully the law gets enacted soon. But the best intentions of having such a safety board depends on having qualified people running it, not mere political proteges.

We also had the best intentions when the Energy Regulatory Board was created, but its performance has been very spotty. They did not have enough qualified people who understood the economics of the power industry.

But we had a recent notable success in the Competition Commission. PNoy appointed highly qualified people to run it. So, it can be done.

A good man

The other week, we lost another good man not to COVID, but leukemia. Sixto “Jun” Carlos Jr. was two years ahead of me in high school and a good friend in college. I lost track of Jun after I started working at ABS-CBN, but I remember him as a soft spoken and kind person who carried the burden of the oppressed Filipinos in his heart.

He went underground after the declaration of martial law and I heard he was eventually captured and tortured before he left for exile in Europe.

Some years ago, I heard he was back in his ancestral house in Pandacan and was busy helping his neighborhood and preserving its cultural heritage.

A month ago I heard he was hospitalized. Hospital staff were wondering who Jun was because there was always a steady line of people volunteering to donate blood for him. They thought he was a missionary.

That’s Jun Carlos… who captured the hearts of people whose lives he touched. He would have been a very compassionate doctor if he pursued his earlier intended course. Nevertheless, he lived a full life of service to the people.

Christine Ebro, his ex-wife, posted on Facebook that the ancient Greeks were not keen on obituaries and eulogies. They simply asked after one passed away, did he have passion for the greater good.

Jun most certainly had that passion and he pursued it at great personal sacrifice. He will be missed.

Boo Chanco’s email address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco