DOTr to require regular drug tests for PUV drivers

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This is part of new road safety measures the DOTr will be implementing after twin road tragedies in the first few days of May

MANILA, Philippines – Drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) will soon be required to undergo mandatory drug tests every 90 days.

The cost of testing will be shouldered by their respective operators, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.

This is part of new road safety measures the DOTr will be implementing after twin road tragedies — the crash along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) that killed 10 people last week, and an SUV that crashed into a crowd at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Sunday left two dead, including a 5-year-old who was sending off her father, an overseas Filipino worker.

“[These] could have been avoided,” Transport Secretary Vince Dizon said in a press briefing on Monday, May 5. He was visiting the SCTEX crash victims’ families when the incident at the airport occurred, prompting him to head to NAIA after.

Dizon said the government will pursue justice for the SCTEX crash victims by compensating the families and by pursuing a civil case against Solid North. Meanwhile, Ramon Ang — the businessman behind the new operator of NAIA — told the transport chief that they will fix the issue with the bollards, which was supposed to block vehicles from getting near individuals.

The driver of the Solid North Bus with 28 passengers and a conductor caused the fatal crash on May 2 after he reportedly fell asleep behind the wheel. The bus was speeding when it rammed into other vehicles along a toll plaza.

The impact was so severe that authorities had trouble identifying passengers of a Nissan Urvan that got crushed.

On Monday, Land Transportation Office chief Vigor Mendoza II said the bus driver’s license has already been suspended and the driver perpetually disqualified “when he refused to take the drug test” following the incident.

The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) suspended Solid North last week. LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said they have already tapped 270 other provincial buses to serve Solid North’s route in the meantime.

Meanwhile, bus operators will also be required to assign alternative drivers on trips that take hours. PUV drivers will be limited to driving a maximum of 4 hours on the road after the DOTr noted that some bus firms overwork their drivers.

Transportation authorities will also review driver education programs and be more strict with roadworthiness checks of vehicles. The department order detailing these new measures has been prepared and will be signed by Dizon.

After signing, Dizon said these new measures will be effective immediately. – Rappler.com