Blood on the hands of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) with every vehicular accident on the street.
And why not? After all, the privilege to drive vehicles comes with a driver’s license from the LTO, as the rules on traffic regulations require.
And as we all know, a driver’s license is supposed to be issued to someone only after he/she passes the Drivers License Examination given by LTO drivers license examiners. License examiners? But what license examiners does LTO have? Ah yes! LTO has examiners who give professional drivers examination, but they themselves are non-professional driver’s license holders. And there are even those (particularly heads of licensing centers) who are not holders of any driver’s license, yet they themselves give the examination. Yes Virginia, the practice has been going on for years—up to the present.
Anyway, examinees are required to undergo the actual driver’s examination under Restriction Code 3 before being allowed to drive heavy vehicles like buses. But where do they take the actual driving examination, when the LTO or its licensing centers have trucks/buses for test-drive and, worse, no space big enough for truck/bus maneuverings. So where do bus drivers take their actual driving examination, which is supposed to test or determine their level of competency in driving heavy motor vehicles. Where else, but on the streets and highways that they are allowed to ply without taking the actual driving examination. Meaning, the LTO is guilty of malfeasance for issuing professional driver’s licenses to individuals who have not taken the LTO’s Driver’s License Examination.
This serious flaw in the system did not escape the keen eyes of former Transportation Secretary Jose P. de Jesus. Before he was eased out of the Department of Transportaion and Communications, De Jesus issued Department Order 2011-25, ordering the “Inclusion of Driver Proficiency Standard (Heavy Vehicles)” as additional requirement in the exercise of the regulatory powers of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to issue the certificate of public convenience (CPC). Specifically, the order states: “Applicants for CPCs shall present sufficient proof and submit a list of its drivers who are duly accredited to drive by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). Drivers of public utility Buses/Trucks should be certified by Tesda with Driving National Certificate III, while drivers of other modes (light vehicle e.g., jeepneys/taxis) should be certified by Tesda with Driving National Certificate II.”
Up to this moment, this department order is gathering dust in the hands of incumbent Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas. Blood on the streets is now creeping up on. . . guess, whose laps!
—ROD TUPAZ,
tupas_rod@yahoo.com