Alarmed at the recent spike of accidents involving tricycles, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has directed its regional offices to to ramp up road safety seminars for tricycle drivers.
The directive, issued by LTO Chief Atty. Vigor Mendoza II, follows the launch of TODA (Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association) Learning Centers across the country.
This program aims at educating TODA members on road safety in alignment with the advocacy of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista to enhance safety for all road users.
The establishment of TODA Learning Centers focuses on educating members about their rights and responsibilities on the road, recognizing the critical role of tricycle drivers who support their families and educate their children through their work.
Mendoza emphasized the importance of setting up additional TODA Learning Centers and urged LTO regional directors, district office heads, and extension and satellite office heads to initiate comprehensive road safety seminars for tricycle drivers within their jurisdictions.
He also instructed them to collaborate closely with local government units responsible for issuing operating permits to tricycle drivers.
Citing United Nations statistics, Mendoza highlighted the severity of road accidents, with 1.3 million annual fatalities globally, 58 percent occurring in the Asia-Pacific region.
In the Philippines, an average of 32 deaths daily are attributed to road accidents, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety measures.
Secretary Bautista has championed the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan, presented during the Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory 2023 Annual Meeting, aiming to reduce road accident fatalities by 35 percent by 2028 and 50 percent by 2033, endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #LTO #TODA #SafetySeminar