DOTr to fix broken road safety system

People do not feel safe on our streets – Dizon

- BY DEXTER BARRO II

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon announced sweeping reforms to address the country's road safety system, which he described as “broken,” following a string of accidents that made Filipinos no longer feel safe on the roads.

“People do not feel safe on our streets. That is the sad reality. And I've been directed by the President to act and to fix it. And that is what we will do,” Dizon said in a press conference on Monday, May 5. “This is the true justice that we can all give, that the government can give to the 12 people who have died these past few days. And to all others who have also died or been injured by road accidents in the past." On Labor Day, a speeding bus plowed into four vehicles along SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), leaving 10 dead and 37 injured.

On Sunday, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) rammed into the entrance of the Departure Area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, resulting in the deaths of two people, including a toddler.

Dizon said these fatal accidents could have been avoided if not for the dire state of the country's road safety system.

"The system is broken... we have to admit that to fix it," the official said.

"And that is the true justice we will give to the families of the victims, so that we no longer have to live in fear on our own streets." Dizon admitted that while there are rules to assess the roadworthiness of public utility vehicles (PUVS), such as buses and jeepneys, these are always never properly enforced.