By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has revoked the license of a bus driver caught in a viral video for speeding in La Union during the Holy Week.
In a press conference at the LTO Central Office in Quezon City on Wednesday, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon said Mark Louie Burgos, the driver of a passenger bus operated by ELS Bus Company, has been involved in two road incidents in La Union so far.
On April 15, a video went viral on social media showing the passengers of the said bus in a panic and begging the driver to stop due to dangerous driving.
In response, the LTO and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued show cause orders against the operator and the driver of the bus to investigate the incident.
“To our commuting public, we want you to know, upon the orders and directive of President [Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.] himself, we will protect you from these abusive drivers,” Dizon said.
He said the DOTr and its attached agencies continue their crackdown against undisciplined drivers, with a total of 671 drivers slapped with 90-day license suspensions for their involvement in road crashes and illegal drugs during the Holy Week.
Of these, 574 were involved in road crash incidents that resulted in injuries and deaths, while the remaining 97 were drivers of public utility vehicles (PUV) who tested positive for illegal drugs by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“Tuloy-tuloy po ito, hindi lang po ito pang Holy Week. So, kung kayo ay nag-iisip pang mang-abuso at hindi sumunod sa mga regulasyon natin sa kalye, pasensyahan po tayo kapag nawalan kayo ng lisensya at pag nakasuhan (This will continue, it will not only be during Holy Week. If you’re thinking of abusing or disobeying our road laws, be prepared to lose your license when we file a case against you),” he said.
“We are sending a strong message to everyone, lalo na sa mga nagpapatakbo ng mga PUVs – buses, jeepneys and other PUVs, hindi po natin itotolerate ‘to. At sa mga nagmamaneho ngayon, tumino-tino na po kayo kung ayaw ninyong mawalan ng kabuhayan (especially those operating PUVs, we won’t tolerate this. And to those driving today, be good drivers if you don’t want to lose your livelihood).”
As part of its crackdown against rogue drivers, Dizon ordered the creation of a task force composed of the DOTr, LTO, and the LTFRB.
The task force, he said, will conduct a sweeping review of existing road safety policies and processes for the issuance of driver’s licenses.
“Motorsiklo isa pa ‘yan. Bakit ang daming kamote drivers? Ang ibig sabihin niyan hindi sapat ang mga proseso natin ngayon para siguraduhin na kwalipikado at skilled ang mga drivers natin (Motorcycles, that is another issue. Why are there so many bad drivers? What this means is our process to ensure qualified and skilled drivers is lacking),” he added. (PNA)
