LTFRB's Inton hopes ‘safe and clean’ public transport under Duterte

An official of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is hoping that presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will also make public transport in Manila "safe and clean."

“If we will take the Davao City as a template, it is known to be safe and clean, sa tingin ko, ang expectation ng mga tao lalo na ang mga commuters is that public transportation will be safe and clean under Duterte administration,” LTFRB Board Member Ariel Inton said in a phone interview.

Inton said he supports Duterte’s tight fist, which he hopes will discourage public utility vehicle drivers from committing traffic violations.

Inton said violators take the law lightly because the penalties seemed to be very light.

“Hindi sila takot sa batas, kaya one of my proposal is taasan ‘yung jail term sa mga reckless imprudence resulting in homicide cases,” he said, “They take the law lightly because very light ang penalty. Pero look how many deaths have been recorded due to road accidents,” Inton said.

Under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code, reckless imprudence resulting in homicide carries the penalty of four months up to four years and two months imprisonment.

Meanwhile, he sees the integration of road courtesy the school curriculum as a long-term solution to the problem.

“I think kailangan nating i-instill sa isip ng mga tao ang road courtesy and obeying traffic regulation. We should integrate traffic regulation and road courtesy in subjects, para sa ganun, kapag nagmaneho na sila, or simpleng commuter at pedestrian, alam nila, marunong na sila [sumunod sa batas],” Inton said. —ALG, GMA News