This column is a prayer, a prayer for this Presentation of Mary nun Sr. Carmen Saniel and others in that accident in Matina Pangi.
Sr Saniel, PM, is the older sister of Fr. Lord Saniel, a diocesan priest of Davao. But this one is the other side of the story.
The main story is about that accident where 10 died, deaths which could have been avoided. So many crashes are either human error or machine failure. Whatever, accidents can still be prevented.
About a year ago, a tragic accident also occurred in the same place when a huge dumptruck plowed cars waiting for the traffic light to go green. Again people died there in that accident which can be avoided.
First, consider this. So many drivers have their drivers license bought from fixers. I know of young boys between 18 and 25 with 123 driver’s license. I have 1 and 2 because I don’t drive bigger vehicles. But this 19 year old habal habal driver has 123 driver’s license.
How did you get that, I asked. Gibayran nako ug 6k sa LT0. Asa na branch? I pursued my querry. Secret he said. So you can get a license even if you have not mastered the art of driving? Yes sir.
But I would not be surprised if those taking the exams failed. The LTO driver’s exam is hard. No grade school student could pass. No high school student can pass. It is hard.
But this should not be an excuse why we don’t try harder to take this exam. Anyone should, especially that driver who drove that ten wheeler. There are so many things a driver should know before driving.
Was it careless driving that happened? Ambot, really. But 10 people died including Sr Carmen Saniel, PM.
Second, can we as a nation not live without the chop chop or 3rd hand vehicles from other countries? Must we rely on them for our transpo? Are we really that poor or is it that people in government made money out of the importation of 3rd hand vehicles?
Malaysia, a country more or less similar to us does not allow vehicles 11 years above to be on the road. Those vehicles 11 years old and above are junked or minted.
But here in our country, government still allow 30 or 40 year old jeepneys, etc. to travel. Worse, they get passengers for public ride. And when accidents happen, drivers will just say “I’m sorry”.
We are never safety conscious. Safety and Comfort. These should have been primordial, especially on the road. PUJs carry lives and so do multicabs. But how safe and comfortable are they? Sad to say, neither one of them. Never safe. Never comfortable. Why does LTFRB allow them to ply their route.?
If the government is dead serious with safety and comfort, it has the power to do it. Brand new buses, anyone?
