PUBLIC utility vehicle (PUV) drivers will soon be required to undergo drug testing every 90 days, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Monday, May 5.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the new requirement is part of a broader set of road safety measures to be implemented following two major vehicular accidents that claimed multiple lives in early May.
The drug tests will be mandatory and shouldered by the operators of the transport units, Dizon said.
Among the incidents that prompted the policy were the crash along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) on May 2, which left 10 people dead, and the May 4 accident at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, where an SUV plowed through a crowd, killing two people including a five-year-old girl.
“These incidents could have been avoided,” Dizon said.
Other safety measures include requiring operators to assign alternate drivers for long-distance trips, and limiting driving shifts to four hours. The DOTr also plans to tighten checks on vehicle roadworthiness and review current driver education programs.
Dizon said the department order containing the new rules has been finalized and will take effect immediately after signing.
