ALL transportation operators in Central Visayas will soon be required to attend mandatory safety seminars conducted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) due to recent traffic violations, including one that resulted in a fatal incident involving modern public utility jeepneys (MPUJs).
LTFRB 7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. emphasized the need for operators to take on a more active role as firm owners in response to recent accidents that gained attention on social media.
On Oct. 30, 2023, a six-year-old boy sustained injuries to his left hand when the driver of a Latransco jeep allegedly drove recklessly in downtown Cebu City. Another incident on Nov. 14 resulted in the death of a 38-year-old call center agent and the injury of five others when the Kats jeep they were in figured in an accident in Mandaue City.
Both incidents are under investigation by the LTFRB and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Previously, only drivers underwent seminars, primarily from the LTO, but the new initiative aims to extend this education to operators.
Montealto stressed the importance of reminding operators of their responsibility to ensure that their drivers adhere to traffic laws. The planned seminar will also tackle the proper ways to respond to emergencies.
“We are ironing out the details and starting to draft the module,” he told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.
Seminar guidelines
Montealto said their legal department is working on drafting terms and conditions for these seminars, with comprehensive guidelines expected to be released next week.
He acknowledged that while drivers are involved in incidents, operators should manage day-to-day operations.
Montealto could not give details yet on whether the seminar will be for free or not, pending the release of the approved guidelines.
Daily briefing
Montealto also announced plans to enforce a policy requiring operators to brief their drivers daily before dispatching them to carry passengers.
Random checks will be conducted daily, and operators will sign a card confirming the briefing.
In a separate interview, Ellen Maghanoy, president of the 10-member Federation of Cebu Transport Cooperatives, expressed support for the directive if it helps curb incidents of reckless driving.
She said they had already been briefing the drivers not only to exercise caution when driving but also to observe good personal hygiene.
“We encourage them to smell good because some passengers complain about body odor, especially (with) the conductors,” she said.
Rysteen Dino, secretary of Latransco, also committed to supporting the program, saying they already conduct weekly briefings for drivers.
“It’s okay. It’s really to get into their (the drivers’) heads. Since they receive their salary weekly, there’s always an orientation before payday,” he said.
Suspension
Montealto confirmed that there was a hearing between the individuals involved in the incident causing a child’s hand injury.
The driver received a three-month suspension from LTO 7 after hearings were conducted in response to the incident that went viral on social media.
Latransco pledged to cover all the medical expenses of the injured child, and the resolution of the incident is currently under deliberation and scheduled for release in the coming days.