By Lyn Y.Tallio
A tricycle in Quezon City (Photo courtesy of PNA)
As incidents of road rage involving tricycle drivers continue to rise, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza yesterday said it will offer more safety seminars and open more learning centers for both tricycle drivers and operators.
Mendoza said he had already issued the directive to regional directors and district office heads following the launch of tricycle operators and drivers association (TODA) learning centers nationwide.
These learning centers, according to Mendoza, is aimed at educating TODA members on road safety, their rights, and obligations on the road.
“We’ve seen many viral videos where tricycle drivers are the cause of road rage incidents. We wish to protect our TODA members by equipping them with knowledge on road safety,” Mendoza said.
The TODA learning centers, he said, will help secure the livelihoods of tricycle drivers and operators by providing them with knowledge.
He urged LTO regional directors, district office heads, and extension and satellite office heads to initiate road safety seminars for tricycle drivers in their areas and to coordinate with local government units on the issuance of tricycle permits.
“We all have the right to use roads. But there are laws and regulations that we must follow to ensure everyone's safety,” he said.
The intensified information drive for tricycle drivers is part of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) push for the reduction of road crashes in the country under the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan presented during the Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory 2023 Annual Meeting.