• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Public transport operators from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental met recently with Land Transportation Office Region 6 officials and vowed support to the agency’s intensified law enforcement and road safety campaign.
In a dialogue with LTO6 director, Atty. Gaudioso Geduspan II, and assistant regional director Jeck Conlu, the drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) voiced their grievances on the transport modernization requirements but emphasized their commitment to work together on measures aimed at reducing road crashes.
“Our road safety campaign is not simply about issuing fines; it is about fostering a culture of responsible driving and ensuring that PUVs operate safely for the welfare of every road user,” Geduspan said in a statement May 31, adding that these measures aim to enforce stricter implementation of traffic regulations among jeepney drivers and operators throughout the region.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod, meanwhile, urged the LTO in the city to promote safe driving, raise awareness, and potentially address local traffic issues, in line with the celebration of Road Safety Month.
Councilor Claudio Jesus “Kalaw” Puentevella, who authored the resolution approved by the SP May 28, said that this year’s theme “‘Drive to Protect: Safe Streets, Safe Children’, is a vibrant reminder of the urgent need to build safer roads, especially for children and vulnerable road users, and the significance of proactive measures in reducing road crashes and promoting land travel comfort by promoting vigilance, defensive driving, and proper road etiquette.”
The Bacolod City Police Office had said that it logged a 23 percent increase in road accidents in 2024, or from 289 in 2023 to 357 incidents last year.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, meanwhile, said 906 incidents were recorded in 2024, compared to 1,216 road mishaps the year prior.
Puentevella said that, per Philippine Statistics Authority data, road traffic deaths were at an all-time high of 11,096 in 2021, and was the leading cause of death among Filipinos 15-29 years old. “Studies accord these road traffic deaths to be one of the major public health concerns yet remained to be overlooked.” | CGC
