A Ceres bus driver undergoes drug testing at the bus liner’s garage at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. CDN Digital photo | Futch Anthony Inso
CEBU CITY, Philippines—More than 100 Ceres Bus drivers were made to undergo a Skills Enhancement on Defensive Driving Seminar and a drug test on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at the Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) garage at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City.
The seminar was conducted in coordination with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7), Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO-7), Highway Patrol Group (HPG), Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM), and Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System (CTMS).
Read: LTFRB-7 issues show cause order for bus liner involved in multiple crash incidents
LTFRB-7 regional director Eduardo Montealto Jr. told CDN Digital that this seminar will hopefully help drivers refresh their knowledge about defensive driving.
“Refresher nalang ning nia kay silang tanan mga professional drivers man na. Ato gyung gipasabot sa ilaha kay katong mga series of accidents involving their buses, mao nang usa sa mga sanction namo nga kinahanglang maghimo gyud ni sila’g seminar,” Montealto said.
(This is a refresher course because all of them are professional drivers already. We made them understand that this is one of the sanctions due to the series of accidents involving their buses.)
Aside from seminars, Montealto said that they also ordered the company to conduct drug tests and driving examinations for their drivers.
“Ato gyung gi-assure nga dili na mahitabo ug usab ang kadtong mga nahitabo, kay bisan ug dili nila gituyo, bisan ug aksidente gyud to, pero sa akong kabahin, kinahanglan nga mga drivers gyud ang mopasensya,” he added.
(We really made sure that this won’t happen again because even if these were just accidents, for me, drivers should learn to be patient.)
Read: Cebu City Council calls for probe of bus-related accidents
Montealto said that although he doesn’t blame the Ceres Bus drivers, he still hopes that they would learn to co-exist with bicycles and tricycles on the roads.
VTI North Branch admin manager Joelito Cabanes revealed that 303 drivers have already undergone a seminar since November 3. Aside from this, around 286 of their drivers have already undergone drug tests, wherein all tested negative for use of illegal drugs.
255 of their drivers in their south branch have also undergone drug testing while 180 participated in the seminars.
Cabanes added that they will also implement, starting today, the driving examination for their drivers in coordination with the LTO-7.
Read: Ceres Bus Liner vows to improve operations
Ceres buses have been under fire lately after getting involved in a series of accidents, one involving an ambulance and others bicycles.
/bmjo