DOTr eyes regular mandatory drug testing for PUV drivers
The Department of Transportation is looking to make drug testing mandatory for drivers of public utility vehicles.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said on May 5 that he will sign a department order for the implementation within the day, and it will be effective immediately.
This comes after a speeding Solid North bus plowed into multiple vehicles, killing 10 people along the northbound lane of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway on May 1, and the SUV crash at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 that took the lives of two individuals on May 4.
"[These accidents] could have been avoided," he said in a press conference on Monday.
Dizon emphasized that the drug test will be regular, taking place every 90 days.
"Hindi lang 'to 'pag mag-re-renew ka ng [reshistro], 'pag mag-re-renew ka ng prangkisa."
The driver of the Solid North bus, identified as Teodoro Merjan, initially refused to take a drug test on May 2. However, he tested negative for alcohol.
Dizon said that he was enraged after learning the driver didn't want to get tested.
"Wala po siyang choice. Hindi pwedeng hindi pumayag. Nakapatay ka ng 10 tao, 'di ka papayag magpa-drug test," Dizon added.
The Tarlac City Police Station said that Merjan tested negative for illegal drug use on May 5.
The Land Transportation Office has permanently revoked Merjan's license after the multi-vehicle collision.
Meanwhile, it also ordered a 90-day suspension on the license of the SUV driver who rammed the NAIA Terminal 1 entrance.
Dizon also asked the LTO and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to reduce the maximum number of consecutive hours for PUV drivers on the road to four hours. The current maximum hours for PUV drivers to be behind the wheel is six hours.
"Kailangan may ka-relyebo. Kung ang byahe ay mas mahaba sa apat na oras, mandated ang bus company na maglagay ng relyebo. Hindi konduktor. Ngayon ang ginagawa, ang konduktor siya din ang ginagawang ka-relyebong drayber. Hindi pwede 'yun," he said.
The incidents
On May 1, a Solid North bus crashed into three cars and a closed van truck in the toll plaza of SCTEX northbound.
Initial investigation by the Tarlac City Police found that the bus driver dozed off while driving.
Among the fatalities were eight passengers of a Nissan Urvan going to a church camp, including four minors, the youngest being only four years old. The driver, who was the only one in the van who survived the ordeal, remains in critical condition at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital.
The other two deaths were an engineer couple driving a Kia Sonet going to Baguio for a supposed vacation. Their two-year-old child was able to survive despite the total vehicle wreck. The toddler has now been taken in by his aunts and uncles, Guiang said.
The bus driver was taken into custody and faces criminal charges.
Days after, an SUV crashed into the NAIA Terminal 1 passenger entrance, killing two individuals and injuring four people.
The DOTr's initial review found that the SUV driver had no premeditated plan to inflict harm on the NAIA passengers.
The LTO said that the driver was leaving the departure area after sending off a passenger when a sedan suddenly passed in front of him.
"This sent him into a panic, and instead of the brakes, he stepped on the gas pedal," the agency said.
