The Driver's and Conductor's Academy Program (DCAP) was set to be rolled out as a structured training course covering essential road safety education. Accredited driving schools were expected to conduct these training sessions.
The LTFRB initially planned to introduce the training program in phases, beginning with a pilot implementation in Metro Manila targeting bus and truck drivers.
Unfortunately, concerns aired by the stakeholders have delayed the project.
The second phase would expand to other metropolitan areas after three months, followed by UV Express and jeepney drivers in the program's second year.
Motorcycle taxis and Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) would be included in the final phase.
The urgency of the initiative stemmed from rising cases of road accidents.
According to data from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, there were 58,000 road crashes in 2022, averaging 157 incidents daily. From January to July 2023 alone, 44,493 road crashes were recorded, including 168 fatal accidents.
An example of a government regulatory policy that encountered rough sailing was the Motor Vehicle Modernization Program that required jeepney drivers and operators to shift to “modern jeepneys” and consolidate their operations into cooperatives. The policy was undertaken supposedly for environmental reasons, and implemented during the last two administrations. After several deadline postponements, we see now a partial compliance with the Modernization Program, and old jeepneys still plying the routes.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) must have learned some lessons in the past, so that today, the Land Transportation Franching and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has announced the temporary suspension of its Comprehensive Road Safety Training program for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and conductors to allow for further consultations with stakeholders.
The LTFRB is about to require all PUV drivers and conductors to undergo compulsory road safety training as a prerequisite for franchise renewal. The initiative, under Memorandum Circular 2024-040, was designed to reduce road crashes involving PUVs while enforcing stricter adherence to traffic laws.
It was not like the LTFRB adopted this new program without talking to the affected transport sector, particularly the bus drivers, bus operators, haulers and operators of heavy vehicles. The agency has conducted eight consultations, and still issues like the training fees and length of seminars remain.
The agency, which is in charge of giving franchises for public transportation, opted to heed the calls from the transport sector for additional discussions on the implementation of the program.
LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said they will engage with transport groups and industry experts to refine the training framework, ensuring that the policy is both effective and inclusive. He said while there is a felt need for road safety measures, the concerns of their stakeholders should be heard. He promised that the agency will revise their policy to make it more inclusive, effective and practical for those who will be directly affected.
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