Amid incidents of road accidents involving public utility vehicles (PUVs), ranking transportation officials have started discussing the guideline of the installation of speed limiters on all vehicles being used in mass transportation as part of the national government’s road safety measures.
Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II, chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO), said the installation of speed limiters in PUVs is actually embodied in the Republic Act 10916, or the Road Speed Limiter Act that was supposed to have started the full implementation in 2016.
“The full implementation of this law is long overdue. We have to do something now for the interest and protection of all road users,” said Assec Mendoza.
“We will continue holding a series of meetings in order to come up with the guideline, with the intention of installing the required speed limiters in the soonest possible time,” he added.
Mendoza said the first meeting was attended by officials from the LTO, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Department of Transportation.
The same meeting was participated in by UV Express and bus operators.
Mendoza said dialogue emphasized the ongoing efforts towards the mandatory implementation of speed limiters to enhance road safety and ensure compliance with government regulations.
“These measures aim to promote safer travel for commuters and elevate the standards of public transportation safety across the country,” said Mendoza.
The Republic Act 10916 introduces the use of speed limiter devices which electronically control the speed of a vehicle but without affecting the vehicle components. The law was enacted purposely as part of the government intervention on road accidents.
Based on the data of the World Health Organization, around 1.3 million people die in road accidents around the world while between 20 million to 50 million are injured, including injuries that result in disability.
The same data disclosed that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years, and more than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users, namely, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
In the Philippines, an average of 32 people die every day as a result of road accidents, according to the UN data.