LTFRB starts nationwide tagging of UV vans in Davao after deadly crash
THE LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is planning a nationwide tagging of all public utility vehicle (UV) vans, starting this week in Davao City, where a recent crash involving one killed 11 passengers and injured seven others. “This will be the first time that we will conduct the van tagging and we plan to do this nationwide,” LTFRB Board Member lawyer Aileen A. Lizada said on Tuesday. During the tagging, the UV vans’ franchises and licenses are checked and a mandatory drug test for drivers is conducted. A sticker is placed on the windshield of vans that passed inspection. Ms. Lizada said UV vans that are still plying the roads without the sticker will be apprehended and impounded. Meanwhile, Davao City Councilor Conrado C. Baluran, chair of the committee on transportation, has proposed a resolution that would require UV vans to install speed limiters. In a recent meeting with the council members, majority of the van operators in the Davao Region, most of which ply routes stopping at or passing through Davao City, agreed to the proposal. However, implementation is seen as a problem as there is reportedly a lack of speed limiter devices available in the local market. Republic Act 10916 or the Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016 requires the use of a speed limiter device for closed vans, cargo trailers, public utility shuttle service, and tanker trucks. The implementing rules and regulations of the law is still pending. —