Panukalang School Bus Safety Act

MASYADONG nakaaalarma ang pagdami ng mga insidente kung saan ay ilang school bus ang nasasangkot sa sakuna at marami sa mga istudyanteng pasahero nito ay nagtatamo ng pinsala kundi man tuluyan pang nasasawi.

Dahil dito ay marami sa mga kababayan ang umaa-sang agad nang maisasabatas ang panukalang School Bus Safety Act (Senate Bill 2303) na isinusulong ni Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada.

Itinatakda ng panukala ang mga sumusunod:

• Pangungunahan ng Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) ang pagtitiyak ng “safety standards and regulations for public transport, specifically school buses, in order to protect the lives of school children/student passengers riding in the school buses.”

• Ilan sa mga susing hakbangin na dapat ipatupad ng DOTC para rito ay: Implementasyon ng proficiency standards requirement sa school bus drivers; pag-require ng instalasyon ng seat belts sa lahat ng mga upuan ng school bus para sa driver at mga istudyante; at pagsusulong ng paggamit ng hindi madaling magliyab na materyales para sa school bus.

Ayon sa panukala:

“School bus driver shall demonstrate to the employer, the school, the licensing agency, or other person or agency responsible for regulating school bus drivers the proficiency of such driver in operating a school bus…;

The Secretary (of the DOTC) shall prescribe regulations requiring driver seat belts and passenger seat belts (including lap safety belts or other child safety devices meeting applicable government safety standards) for each seating position in any newly manufactured school bus. Owners of school buses which are not currently equipped with seat belts shall be given a period of six months… to install the necessary seat belts in their school buses.

The Secretary… shall determine the feasibility and practicability of the requirement for a decrease in the flammability of the materials used in the construction of the interiors of school buses.”

Ang pagtitiyak ng safety standards ay gagawing isang mahalagang requirement sa pag-renew ng rehistrasyon ng mga school bus.