PARTYLIST PROPOSAL: Salaries for bus drivers draws mixed reactions

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu transport officials expressed varied opinions on the proposal of two partylist representatives of giving regular wages to bus drivers instead of the usual practice wherein bus drivers and conductors receive commissions depending on the how many trips they make in a day.

“I’m in favor of this proposed bill,” said Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board regional director Benjamin Go.

Go said that most accidents are caused by the way drivers are compensated. He said that drivers overload their buses because they earn a per-head commission.

“They drive very fast so that they can make more roundtrips, thus ferrying more passengers which leads to more earnings, they race against each others on the road, fighting over passengers,” Go said.

Land Transportation Office regional director Raul Aguilos said that they have been advocating this mode of payment for public utility drivers ever since because that would certainly remove pressure on drivers to hurry and drive recklessly just to be able to pick up passengers.

“If reckless driving is reduced, road accidents will certainly be prevented and reduced likewise,” Aguilos said.

But for Ryan Benjamin Yu, chairman of the Cebu Integrated Transport Services Cooperative the giving of regular wages to bus drivers will not lessen the number of accidents.

“What’s needed is proper training, education of drivers and proper maintenance of vehicles,” said Yu, whose cooperative owns over a hundred buses throughout the Visayas.

LTO operations chief Aden Belza said that regardless of the mode of income, it is the individual’s driving attitude that will matter.

“One should be a defensive driver and always think of other people’s lives and property instead of thinking only of himself,” Belza said.

Anakpawis partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano and Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño have jointly filed a bill entitled, “Bus Drivers’ and Conductors’ Compensation Act,” which aims to reduce traffic jams and prevent if not minimize accidents involving passenger buses.

Under this proposed bill, bus drivers and conductors are entitled to receive minimum wage and other benefits and incentives as provided for by law.

The bill also requires them, just like any other employee, to work eight hour a day including a one-hour rest as bus owners will also be required to have two shifts of drivers and conductors.   (FREEMAN NEWS)