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Dave Achondo

IT’S not enough anymore that this country’s public utility vehicle sector will be getting an overhaul in the near future. The attitude and mindset of PUV drivers should change, too.

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It’s time for the government to weed out this type of drivers as they are causing unbearable traffic problems, and sometimes, they are causes of accidents, too.

It’s not very often you see a PUV driver that is well-disciplined and courteous to pedestrians and other motorists on the road. Heck, it’s even the opposite!

What causes some PUV drivers to be such road monsters? It’s greed — they always want to have as many passengers as they can, and they don’t care about their other passengers. As long as they can squeeze people into the PUVs to the maximum, it doesn’t matter to them if commuters are not able to sit properly. They are just that greedy in finishing their quota for the day.

It is also not enough that a PUV driver knows how to drive. Even with that knowledge, they start ignoring rules in their own town. But this issue is not entirely exclusive to PUVs, the same thing can be said of some privately owned car drivers as well.

I am pretty sure everybody has seen these before. A motorist who stops at pedestrian lanes; stopping just about anywhere to get passengers; beating the red light; a motorcycle on an overpass where it is not even allowed; not giving way… and the list just goes on.

To address these issues, the government finally had a “brilliant idea” that should have been done ages ago. But I guess it needed a leader that sows fear among lawbreakers, corrupt government officials and employees to finally be put into effect.

According to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Region 10 director Aminoden Guro, some PUV drivers and operators lack the understanding of the terms and conditions for operating a franchise. He said some PUV drivers and operators are unaware of the provisions of their franchise and as a result, they add more to the already worsening traffic condition.

And so the government has launched the Public Utility Drivers Academy Program (Pudap) in Aug. 17, a one-day seminar that requires PUV drivers and operators to attend and complete four modules which includes anger management, road courtesy, traffic rules and the terms and conditions of a franchise. It aims to teach public utility drivers to review or enhance their knowledge on basic traffic regulations being enforced on the road.

If they fail the exam, they may take it again. However, fail it twice, and they wait a year to take the exam again. Which tells me we’d be seeing less undisciplined drivers on the road if that happens.

Still, it does not solve the problem entirely because even private vehicle drivers are also lacking and should also be required to undertake a similar seminar. Pudup is a step forward if the traffic jams can be lessened — even a little bit.

Better late than never, I guess.

This is indeed a crucial time for PUV drivers and their operators to learn to be courteous and considerate to fellow motorists and pedestrians.

However, the question still remains: Would this have any effect at all? There are plenty of factors to consider, not just the motorists and pedestrians but also on law enforcement. But I guess any move to remedy the traffic problem would definitely be welcomed.

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