With the goal of producing more competent and professional drivers in the public transport sector, the Department of Transportation through the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board simultaneously launched on Aug. 17, the nationwide PUV Drivers’ Academy.
Under the directive of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said the agency will be giving free training seminars to PUV drivers nationwide.
“This is not just a launch, but a start of one of the major programs of the agency, which aims to upgrade the competence, skills, and enhance the character of our public utility drivers,” Delgra said.
He said the four core modules of the training—anger management; road courtesy; terms and conditions of CPCs (certificates of public convenience); and traffic rules and regulations—have been crafted by the LTFRB and the Land Transportation Offic, with the help of curriculum experts from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and Dela Salle University.
After undergoing the whole day training seminar, which would be conducted weekly, Delgra said that participants would be taking an examination. Upon passing the examination, the PUV drivers will be issued an ID, which would be placed in a conspicuous or prominent area of the vehicle. Aside from identification purposes, the ID will also mean that the driver is fit to drive a PUV. However, PUV drivers who will fail the examination will be allowed to retake it only once, the LTFRB head stressed.
“We hope to achieve our mission of ensuring safe, convenient, and reliable public transport by investing in our drivers,” Delgra added.
During the nationwide launch of the Drivers’ Academy, a total of 659 PUV drivers took part.
PUV drivers were asked to register and fill out a driver’s information sheet, which would be eventually be part of building a PUV drivers’ database.
