LTFRB Director Mohammad Pushes for Safe Driving Seminar

Davao City – Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Regional Director Abdulgafar Mohammad is set to issue a memorandum directing all operators of public utility vehicles that their drivers will undergo safe driving seminar.

Earlier in the week, complaints have reached again Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of abusive drivers over-speeding major thoroughfares of what passengers would call “uso-uso” jeepneys.

“Tungod sa ilahang pagmaneho, ipatuman ang mga balaod regarding sa traffic regulations and unsa man ang buhaton sa mga driver”, Mohammad said.

Appearing as guest in the weekly Gikan sa Masa television program of Vice-Mayor Duterte, Mohammad openly confessed to have an occasion of chasing an over-speeding taxi but only to succeed getting the plate number which he eventually penalized the driver for a fine of 6 thousand pesos.

Meanwhile, Land Transportation Office Head of Operations Eleonor Calderon tipped-off taxi companies and PUJ Operators on the selection process of their drivers.

“Our data system is open to check the backgrounds of our drivers, feel free to come to our office and ask for the backgrounds of these drivers”, Calderon said.

Mohammad suggested with LTO that after payment by the driver of his fine for reckless driving and other abuses, the corresponding driver’s license should be suspended for 3 to 6 months.

However, Duterte said flagrant abuses committed by drivers are neither negligence nor accident. “Para nako, driver’s abuses are so severe as to tantamount to malice”, he said, adding that to deal with abusive drivers is to give them the maximum penalty.


Signalization Project: Dream of Davao City

On the other hand, Davao City Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has announced the near completion of the signalization project saying, it’s a dream of Davao City.


“Davao City is the fastest growing metropolis, a term used for a city that’s burgeoning into something big so we have this traffic signal all over the city with cameras”, Duterte said. “Kita lang sa Mindanao ang naay pinaka extensive nga traffic signalization”, he further said.

Duterte however stressed that human traffic aide on the ground under the auspices of the city’s Traffic Management Center still prevails over road traffic conflicts. “We are dealing here with humans”, he said.

According to LTO Operations Head Eleanor Calderon, records of the Land Transportation Office reveal a total of 133,000 registered motor vehicles in Davao City and 98,000 driver’s license holders. “As compared to those manning the city streets, LTO only have 68 personnel”, Calderon stressed.

Duterte said, there are 600 to a thousand motor vehicles sold in the city daily which excludes in the figure sales of motorcycles. The only way to manage this according to him is to implement discipline on the streets. (CIO – Roldan G. Gorgonio)

Abusive motorists get ire of Duterte anew; seeks severe penalties for violators

Davao City – Speaking in his weekly Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa television program Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte lambasted drivers of both private and public utility vehicles for utter disregard of existing laws on traffic and suggested to both Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) higher penalties not to exclude suspension or revocation of a driver’s license even for first time offenders.

“Kanang first offense, second offense, mao nay pangpagara” Duterte said referring to a proviso in the law which gradually increases the administrative fine for habitual traffic law violators.

Potential victims of reckless drivers which Duterte specified are mostly children, women and the elderly who exposed themselves to danger of being bumped by rushing motorists.

“Kanang tao nga naglabang nga naa na diha sa pedestrian (lane), mo para gyud (ang sakyanan) para sila palabangon” (vehicles should come to a complete stop giving way for pedestrians).

Duterte considered it as a flagrant abuse for motorists not to heed laws for pedestrians. “It is not negligence or accident, it is really done with malice”, he said.

Duterte contemplated for the creation of an office in Central 911 that will exclusively receive complaints related to abuses committed by drivers. “Magbutang ug desk (in Central 911) para didto na mo mag storya”, he said.

Duterte said that the speed limit allowed by law for motor vehicles in the city’s major thoroughfares is only 40 kilometers per hour. Complaints have reached him on the resurgence of “uso-uso” (jeepneys with features of death-defying speed) plying the routes of Calinan and Toril.

Pointing at LTO’s discretion to revoke driver’s license, Duterte hinted on taking away the privilege to drive even for first time violators.

“I will recommend for the meantime nga kanang mga offenses because of the many abuses, total naa man sa discretion sa LTO, at first instance pakngon na lang daan it’s either you revoke or you suspend. Dili lang suspension as there is a possibility of reinstating the privilege to drive. They should be permanently prohibited from driving motor vehicles and I will see to it nga ing ana ang mahitabo sa davao”, Duterte said. (CIO-Roldan G. Gorgonio)