Days after filing their certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) for the May 2022 elections, Bayaning Tsuper (BTS) party-list traveled to the Queen City of the South to commission a service vehicle dedicated to persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The party-list, which advocates road safety governance and education, will represent transportation workers in Congress.
Lawyer Aminola "Alex" Abaton, the first nominee for Bayaning Tsuper, said they are aiming for a seat in Congress not just to address road safety issues but to also help the special sector in the community such as the PWDs.
Abaton said the service vehicle in Cebu will ensure that PWDs have access to transportation for free.
BTS will hire and compensate drivers who will service the vehicle.
For PWDs who want to avail themselves of the free service, they can coordinate with their federation or organization.
The Regional Federation of PWDs in Cebu, led by its president Joseph Jumantoc, met with Abaton to formalize the process of the commissioned service vehicle.
Abaton also held a dialog with village chiefs of the uphill barangays in Cebu City to discuss the partnership between the barangays and BTS.
He said it is now high time that perennial problems in the country like road crash accidents are addressed.
"In fact, we lack the infrastructure, we lack a concrete policy at that. So we believe that Bayaning Tsuper, if given a chance can represent this kind of advocacy sa ating kongreso na masasabi natin na pakikinabangan ng ating mga kababayan," Abaton said.
In June 2019, BTS was first organized by the members of advocates on road safety.
The former regional director of Land Transportation Office (LTO) Western Mindanao described the issue of road crash incidents as a pandemic in the country
In 2019, a total of 12,876 persons were killed in road crash incidents, or an average of 32 to 34 fatalities per day.
Aside from institutionalizing road safety in the country, the party-list also seeks to pass the inclusion of road safety education in the curriculum of the Department of Education.
The party-list also seeks to legalize motorcycle taxis, otherwise known as habal-habal.