After fatal Skyway accident, solon wants 'speed-limiters' installed on buses

MANILA, Philippines - Following a deadly bus accident in Taguig City on Monday, a lawmaker is urging the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to start requiring bus operators to install "speed-limiters" on their vehicles.

Iloilo Rep. Jerry Trenas said installing "speed-limiters" on public utility buses is a practical solution to discipline reckless drivers and to stop them from running faster than the normal speed of 60 kilometers per hour.

Speed-limiters are devices that automatically stops acceleration when a vehicle exceeds the speed limit.

“Since it is impossible to ensure that only drivers with proper driving etiquette are employed by bus companies, the best way to reduce road accidents is to deny them the ability to drive faster than they should,” Trenas said in a report by state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA).

On Monday, a Don Mariano Transit bound for Pacita Complex, San Pedro City, Laguna, fell from the Skyway and crushed the van on the southbound lane of the South Luzon Express Way service road.

At least 18 people were killed and 16 more were hurt in the incident.

Read:  18 killed, 16 hurt in bus' deadly fall from Skyway

Trenas said unless drastic measures are adopted, wayward bus drivers and their operators will remain a threat to road safety.

The lawmaker said the LTRFRB should step up its crackdown against rogue public utility drivers and irresponsible public utility operators.

"These accidents happen because these drivers and their operators are too confident that they can get away with it. The cycle is endless unless we do something really drastic,” he said.

Trenas added the LTFRB should also start making an inventory of all the franchises that have been granted to bus companies.

"Companies with bad safety records should no longer be allowed to operate,” the lawmaker said.