It's about time!

When a plane goes down, be it a military or commercial/private aircraft, the rest of the planes are automatically grounded, pending an investigation or a review. This is done as a preventive measure in order to make sure the tragedy does not repeat itself, especially if caused by neglect or poor maintenance.

Sadly, this is not the case for land transportation, particularly public utility buses. Which is why we have another fatal bus accident in Cebu.

Just how many fatal bus accidents do we need to have before action is taken regarding the safety of the vehicles and the competence of its drivers?

Time and time again have we talked about ascertaining whether a driver is capable, let alone competent to drive a bus or a truck. Whether he is trained to respond appropriately in emergency situations, and if he is responsible for the maintenance if his vehicle as well.

It is obvious that most drivers don't know squat as to how to respond if the brakes fail, how to properly drive on a winding mountain road, even how to give first aid to injured passengers. The fact that drivers usually survive, and flee the scene of the accident already speaks volumes of their culpability.

I say that bus companies who have histories of fatal accidents must disclose the same for the public to see. Like, before you buy a ticket for a bus, you should know what kind of history the company has.

 Whether it has several fatal accidents or a spotless safety record. Much like the feedback system of most online stores. So you know the companies who sacrifice safety for money. Those who are more concerned with the profitability of a vehicle than its safety.

As for the drivers, that's the government's responsibility. More stringent requirements are needed before a person can be given a professional driver's license. Training from a state-run facility, with a proficiency test after. Not just in Cebu but the whole country.

Metro Manila has seen its share of deadly buses. Fatal bus accidents have to stop. We're already known for our maritime disasters. We don't need another dubious distinction.