The Department of Transportation (DoTr) has ordered the suspension or revocation of licenses for four drivers involved in recent road incidents and reckless behavior to enhance public safety.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced over the weekend that he has directed the perpetual revocation of the license of a van driver in a crash on the Central Luzon Link Expressway.
The crash left five people dead and eight injured and driver later tested positive for illegal drugs.
In separate incidents, the DoTr has also ordered 90-day suspensions for three other drivers.
One was caught illegally changing his vehicle’s license plates on the North Luzon Expressway, while another was the driver of an oil tanker that plowed into four vehicles on Mabini Bridge in Manila, injuring three people.
Meantime, the license of a motorcycle rider was also suspended after a viral video showed him performing a “boat dance challenge” while standing on his moving motorcycle.
In addition to the suspensions, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) has placed an alarm on the vehicles involved, meaning they are flagged and cannot be sold or transferred. The registered owners of the vehicles have also been summoned to explain their liability.
The driver of the oil tanker, a Malabon City resident, received a show-cause order from the LTO on Sunday. The order requires him and the registered owner to appear at a hearing and provide a written explanation for why they should not be held liable for operating a vehicle with defective equipment, as initial reports suggest the truck lost its brakes.
LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II said the move is in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure road safety for all users, adding that the agency will continue to pursue reckless motorists to enforce road discipline.