SCTEX crash victims’ families get P400K each

The families of the 12 persons who died — six of them children — in a devastating crash at the Tarlac City Toll Plaza Exit of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) will each receive P400,000 in insurance compensation, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Friday.

The LTFRB directed the Passenger Accident Management and Insurance Agency (PAMI) to immediately process the claims following Thursday afternoon’s multi-vehicle collision involving a passenger bus, an 18-wheel truck, a van, and a sport utility vehicle. At least 20 others were injured.

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon ordered a full investigation into the incident as well as the suspension of the operations of Solid North, the bus operator involved.

“This is not something we can just let pass,” Dizon said in Filipino. “Lives were lost — elderly, children. A simple ‘sorry’ cannot bring them back.”

The van took the brunt of the impact, ending up mangled beyond recognition. Authorities described the vehicle as “totally destroyed.”

In response to preliminary findings pointing to the Solid North bus as the cause of the chain-reaction crash, LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III issued a 30-day preventive suspension on 15 of the operator’s Dagupan Bus units.

Solid North must comply with several safety directives, including conducting drug tests for its drivers, holding safety seminars, and submitting to full fleet inspections. Proof of insurance payouts must also be presented to regulators.

Deeply flawed

Dizon said the tragedy exposed deep flaws in the country’s road transport system — from franchising and vehicle registration to driver licensing and the enforcement of health and safety standards for public transport workers.

“This tragic crash only proves there’s something seriously wrong with the current system for ensuring road safety,” he said.

Initial reports suggested the bus driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

“If it’s true the driver fell asleep, then how long had he been driving without rest?” Dizon asked. “There must be clear rules on how long a driver can be on the road before a mandatory rest. And these rules should be strictly enforced.”

Dizon emphasized that driving is not a right but a responsibility. “The issuance of a franchise or a driver’s license is a privilege. It carries with it responsibility and accountability.”

“We definitely need limits — a specific number of driving hours. Beyond that, drivers should no longer be allowed to operate. This is about lives,” he added.

“There can be no room for the status quo anymore.”