Check other public transport

More than a week after the tragedy in barangay Cansomoroy, Balamban that claimed the lives of 21 people including 20 Iranians, it seems that there are many lapses that have been committed that could not only have prevented that accident, but also many others.

Okay, the move to check the other vehicles of JD Rent-a-Car, the owner of the bus that plunged into the ravine was a move towards the right direction, but the results of the recent inspection at the Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (MVIC) should also lead to further action.

If most of the vehicles of that company had problems, it won’t be a surprise if later we would also find out that the same is the situation with other transport providers.

We went through the process of having our vehicle checked at the MVIC early this year prior to the renewal of the registration and it was quite tedious. We have long brought up the matter of how come we see many vehicles that obviously would have failed the test, but are still on the road.

We found out recently that if you renew your vehicle’s registration in other offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), you would not be required the clearance from MVIC.

If this is the case, then there is no fairness. We hope that the LTO will find a way to rid our streets of vehicles that are not road worthy.

This could mean many vehicles that would not be allowed on our roads, but if we want change then we better start with ourselves.

More than the responsibility of government, it is also our personal responsibility to ensure that our vehicle is fit to travel and would not endanger others. If you can’t do this, then shut up and don’t complain when accidents happen.

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We were at the launching of the Subaru dealership in Mandaue City last week and were impressed at the emphasis on safety.

Brian Chua, president of Subaru Cebu, highlighted not only the capabilities of the car an its design, but also the safety features.

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Jesson Morata, one of our readers who regularly correspond with us, is asking if the national government agencies only got involved in the bus tragedy investigation because of the foreigners involved.

While it appears that way, we hope that this is going to be the standard of our government when it comes to the investigation of accidents.

Another reader asked if other public transportation providers would also be checked. “Are we going to wait for another accident before their vehicles would undergo tests? Can the government agencies compel them to post the certification that they passed the MVIC test in a prominent location in their vehicle so we can see that the vehicle is road worthy?”

A better nation starts with each one of us trying to do our share to make it better.

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For your comments, complaints and suggestions please feel free to contact us at 2531276 or 2538613 local 237.

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