A leader of the House of Representatives on Monday pushed for the passage of a bill proposing a cap on the driving time of public utility vehicle drivers to promote road safety and decrease road accidents.
Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte filed House Bill 1768 that penalizes public utiity vehicle operators who allow their drivers to drive 12 hours or more in a 24-hour period as drivers who do so.
Villafuerte said his proposal also aims to encourage self-discipline in the public transportation sector.
The bill also penalizes companies or institutions that allow their drivers to drive on duty without rest and driving shifts.
“One factor of road accidents is driver fatigue—more specifically, drowsiness. Long drives can be especially dangerous as drivers are prone to doze off and lose concentration, mostly during night,” Villafuerte said, in HB 1768 in underscoring the need to swiftly approve his proposal.
Passenger buses are especially prone to this dangerous practice as they cater to popular tourist destinations that are at least six to 13 hours away by land transportation from Metro Manila, said Villafuerte who represents the Second District of Camarines Sur.
The province, which is home to numerous highly popular eco-tourism spots, such as Caramoan Island and the CamSur Watersports Complex, is about 10 hours away from Manila by bus.
Villafuerte said the American Academy of Sleep Medicine even likened drowsy driving to driving under influence.
He quoted the academy’s study as saying that drowsy driving “is similar to alcohol in how it compromises driving ability by reducing alertness.”
Studies have shown that at least a quarter of road accidents that happen are due to driver fatigue, he added.
The bill mandates the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to work with the Land Transportation Authority (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the private sector, and local government units (LGUs), in crafting the implementing rules once the bill has been enacted.
