The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) mulls the creation of a National Driver’s Academy that would institutionalize regular education for drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs).
Amid the surge of road crashes, LTFRB chief Teofilo Guadiz III said the academy is envisioned to deliver mandatory training on defensive driving, traffic rules, passenger safety, stress and fatigue management, and basic vehicle care.
To ensure accountability, it would also include behavioral assessments and digital attendance tracking, he said.
“This is not just another seminar. We envision a national institution that will define what it means to be a responsible, professional driver in the Philippines. If we want to save lives, we need to invest in the people behind the wheel,” he cited.
The initiative directly supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s marching order to implement long-term solutions in reducing fatalities and ensuring commuter safety.
Transportation officials and safety experts attributed the high incidence of road mishaps to widespread poor driving behavior, lack of formal retraining and regulatory gaps as core contributors to the surge in road crash incidents.
Transport analysts flagged the absence of structured, continuous education for PUV drivers and many professional drivers operate without undergoing standardized training beyond their initial licensing.
Danilo Reyes, a road safety specialist, said there is a deeply rooted problem in the way professional drivers are “prepared and regulated.”
“There’s no continuing education, no behavioral monitoring and no refresher courses on updated traffic laws. This creates a culture of recklessness and impunity,” he said.
“If we do nothing, we’ll lose more lives — not just in numbers, but in preventable, senseless tragedies,” Reyes emphasized.
The LTFRB said public response to the initiative has been encouraging.
Based on a recent survey by the Transport Reform Coalition, seven out of 10 commuters believe PUV drivers must go through a periodic training as a condition for renewing their franchise or operating permits.
