LTO urged to act on traditional PUJ after Cebu City crash injures five

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City traffic authorities will ask the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to take administrative action against a public utility jeepney (PUJ) involved in a road crash that injured five people and damaged six vehicles in downtown Cebu City.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Jomar Medil, chief of the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said Wednesday that the TEU had forwarded the PUJ driver’s license to the LTO and would seek action against the vehicle, including a possible revocation of its registration.

“Ang amoang action taken is administrative sanction towards LTO,” Medil said. “Depende na karon sa LTO kung ipa-show cause ba siya, and then they will thoroughly inspect the vehicle”

(Our action taken is an administrative sanction through the LTO. It will now depend on the LTO whether it will issue a show-cause order, after which it will thoroughly inspect the vehicle.)

Medil said the traffic unit would also ask the LTO to place an alarm on the PUJ while the agency evaluated the vehicle.

The crash occurred in the afternoon on August 11 at the intersection of Colon Street and Junquera Street, near Super Metro Colon. It involved the PUJ, five motorcycles and a sedan.

Driver claimed brake failure

Medil said the PUJ driver claimed that the vehicle lost its brakes before it struck the other vehicles.

“Ang iyang allegation is nawad-an siyag brake,” Medil said (He alleged that he lost his brakes).

The TEU, however, did not determine whether a mechanical failure caused the crash.

“Well, we only dwell on the incident. We don’t dwell on the mechanical issue sa iyang sakyanan,” Medil said.

(We only deal with the incident. We do not determine the mechanical issue involving his vehicle)

He said determining whether the PUJ remained roadworthy would fall under the LTO’s mandate.

The LTO, he said, could require the vehicle to undergo a thorough inspection and determine whether it would remain fit for public road use.

“That’s beyond our mandate also, kadtong regards when it comes to inspection sa mga PUJs,” Medil said.

(That is also beyond our mandate when it comes to the inspection of PUJs.)

Five injured

Five people sustained minor injuries in the crash, according to Medil.

He said the injuries included cuts and abrasions. He also said one person who ended up underneath the PUJ sustained only minor injuries.

Medil said the PUJ driver and operator had reached settlements with the parties whose vehicles sustained damage and those who suffered injuries.

“Ang tanan nga mga na-injure niya, tanan nga mga na-damage niya, ang iyang operator ug ang driver willing man sila… nag-come up sila ug settlement, kay minor injuries man pud,” he said.

(For everyone who was injured and all the vehicles that were damaged, the operator and driver were willing to settle because the injuries were minor.)

Despite the settlements, the TEU will still pursue administrative action through the LTO, Medil said.

LTO to decide PUJ’s fate

The traffic unit has already forwarded the driver’s license to the LTO, preventing the driver from continuing to operate the vehicle pending the agency’s action.

“Ang iyang license amo nang giforward sa LTO,” Medil said. (We have already forwarded his license to the LTO.)

He said the TEU’s intention would include seeking the revocation of the PUJ’s registration and having an alarm placed on the unit.

“Ang amoang intention is to revoke and to alarm, put alarm, on that said unit,” Medil said.

(We intend to seek its revocation and have an alarm placed on the said unit.)

The LTO, however, will determine what action to take after evaluating the case and inspecting the vehicle.

Under LTO rules, administrative proceedings can involve show-cause orders and sanctions depending on the violation and findings. The agency also requires roadworthiness inspections for certain apprehended vehicles before the lifting of sanctions.

As of Wednesday, the TEU had not said that the PUJ’s registration had already been revoked. Any such action remains subject to the LTO’s evaluation and decision.

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