Talking of drivers, we mean both public and private. Lately I was told that a private vehicle driver went to LTO Bacolod. In that area is a No Parking section outside that office with standee signage that says, No Parking – For Motor Vehicle Inspection. With several standee signs, this driver who pretends to be somebody drove his vehicle right into. His attention was called by the public. But he insisted.
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With this scenario, an LTO official went down the area and politely informed this driver that it is a restricted area for parking. And he answered, “Sigurado ka, sigurado ka?”. Enough of the long story but this situation clearly shows arrogance and pretentious stupidity and plain a violator-of-the-law. This is an example of how private drivers act while on the road.
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Driving their expensive and macho looking vehicles these drivers are trying to show to the world that they seem to be The Untouchables. No sir, you are not untouchable; you are ignorant and plain stupid if the community would size you up. Follow the law and you are a good man in the eyes of God. That is it.
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For public utility drivers and that includes the jeepney drivers, trisikad drivers and e-bike drivers. Not much of the bus drivers. The arrogance of these jeepney drivers have risen to a level of abuse and pretentious ignorance of the law. These drivers know where to unload or load passengers but they refuse to abide by the law. Well, not unless the poor management of traffic is a commission of traffic authorities who are afraid.
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When jeepney drivers get caught by traffic law enforcers, they reason out they are poor. Who is rich anyway? Sorry but being poor or rich is not an excuse or alibi to violate the laws of the land. Never an excuse. Rich or poor must obey. Amen.
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Jeepney leaders should have the moral obligation to teach their driver members to be obedient to the law. That is an example of being good leaders. But are you good? Answer it yourself then. At times, leaders of these drivers even insist that traffic violation penalties should be lowered. What do they mean? If the penalties are just a hundred pesos or less, they will habitually violate? What a thinking.
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With the transport modernization plan of President Digong, there is the majority clamor directly and indirectly to be against the plan. You see how Filipinos tend to be insistent to development. There are just too many public utility vehicles on the road. Jeepney drivers could not earn much because of too many competing fleets.
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But it is nice to hear that a TNVS company in the country is attempting to share its brain and resources to help modernize the jeepney fleets in the country. And what is nice of this rumor is that Bacolod could be the test city. That is a welcome move that jeepney operators must grab. Grab it while the idea is hot. There might be others excited to grab the plan and you might be left behind. If I were a jeepney operator I will grab this opportunity before anyone grabs it away.
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This column greets Doc Toto Rivera, Panyo Torre, Jing Mider, Bobot Gazo, Mulo dela Rama, Linus Jimenez, Joanne Yoshida, Johnson Ngo, Mikey Benedicto, Inaki Jose, Maritoni Mascardo, Maui dela Cruz, Jason Tupas, Stephen Alquiza, Uly Primacio, Neil Concepcion, Gil Balderas and Vic Facultad.*