Speed is not the only safety issue with bus drivers, just a basic knowledge of driving, safety could do wonders. Maybe bus inspections, operators license inspections, insurance inspections, retraining ALL bus driver, and I would include the Jeepney, and taxi drivers. They all are in the same vehicle so to speak, lack of driving knowledge, driving laws, safety for their passengers, the other vehicles on the road, and themselves.
***Bus drivers of a leading transport firm that plies the Manila-provincial routes will undergo training with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as part of government’s drive to ensure they are skilled and disciplined.
A memorandum of agreement was signed between TESDA and Genesis Transport Service Inc. on Tuesday to train its drivers not only in heeding traffic rules and regulations but also in safe driving.
The training, which starts Aug. 8, will test the drivers’ skills to see if they qualify for a national certification.
Genesis Transport will provide the training supplies and the venue to assess the drivers. The exams will include written tests and a hands-on driving test.
“It is said the toughest place to be a driver is in the Philippines," said TESDA director-general Joel Villanueva.
“Our solution is to retrain them so they will [shift] from being kings of the road to kings of safety driving," he added.
“Our drivers may be skilled but one equally important aspect they sometimes forget is the discipline and safety of their passengers," Villanueva said.
Last May, bus drivers said the cause of over speeding was the “boundary" system imposed by transport operators. The boundary system forces drivers to over speed in order to carry more commuters within their respective shifts.
“We are aware of the pressures to earn more, but all these would be put to waste when accidents strike…" Villanueva said.
Last March, 13 female bus drivers completed a driving course from TESDA. The Metro manila Development Authority said the female drivers were qualified to drive trucks and buses after the TESDA course. — BC/VS, GMA News
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