EDITORIAL - Reckless killers

Accidents happen, but this is cold comfort for overseas worker Jomel Bayobo. The seaman arrived at the NAIA from abroad last Monday, expecting to see his family. Instead he was greeted by the news that his wife, young daughter and mother-in-law had died in an accident near midnight Sunday in Lucena City on their way to Manila to meet him.

The three were seated on the left side of a Manila-bound Bragais Line bus when it was struck by a Lucena Lines bus that came barreling down from the opposite lane as the driver tried to overtake another vehicle. The impact ripped away the left portion of the chassis of the Manila-bound bus, killing seven passengers and an alternate bus driver. A ninth passenger died later. The Lucena Bus driver fled but surrendered hours later.

If not for the high death toll, this story would have been buried in the daily menu of bad news in this country. Such vehicular accidents continue to occur frequently. After a series of deadly accidents in winding mountain roads involving speeding buses, jeepneys and trucks, drug testing became mandatory for obtaining a driver’s license amid reports that drivers were taking shabu to stay awake on long-haul trips.

The accidents are not confined to highways where speeding is common. Passengers and pedestrians are also killed or maimed by reckless drivers even in Metro Manila. Some of the most undisciplined drivers ply the streets of Metro Manila, and transport operators must share the blame. Apart from failing to discipline their drivers, transport operators typically pay public utility drivers depending on the number of passengers they can get. This is why buses and jeepneys linger in crowded areas, blocking even the widest thoroughfares as they wait for passengers. This has also made it impossible to maintain an orderly and regular schedule of arrivals and departures of buses and jeepneys at designated stops, as is done in many countries.

The mass transportation industry needs discipline and a major overhaul. Accidents happen, but there are ways of reducing the risks of their occurrence. Recklessness and negligence, which lead to accidents, must be curbed.