LTO 7: PUV drivers neglecting health protocols are reckless
THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 has urged the operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) to remind their drivers to not deliberately violate the minimum health protocols as doing so can be considered as reckless driving.
For its part, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 issued about 80 show cause orders and inspection report summons (IRS) to drivers and operators who violated minimum health protocols for their failure to implement social distancing and require passengers to wear masks.
LTO 7 Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec said they have been working with the public transport operators, including the modernization program operators, to implement health protocols inside their units as the penalties for violations are “very punitive.”
He said the license of the apprehended driver would be suspended if he had a history of reckless driving.
Caindec said the failure to implement the minimum health protocols in public transport constitutes reckless driving.
Caindec, however, did not give a specific figure on the number of apprehensions made by the LTO 7 and the deputized police officers because the public would accuse that the agency is making money.
The point of the apprehensions, he said, is that the LTO 7 just wants the drivers to comply so the country could get over the crisis fast.
He said it had been acknowledged that some transmissions came from public transport.
He said as of now, the PUV drivers were “generally compliant” with the guidelines, but the violations mostly happened in areas where no regular checkpoints were conducted.
Some air-conditioned PUV units in Cebu usually do not turn off their air conditioning system from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., disregarding the ventilation rule.
He said apprehensions usually take place in the provinces during checkpoints conducted by the police.