Six public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers in Bacolod City have been banned from driving for life after testing positive for illegal drug use, the Land Transportation Office in the Negros Island Region (LTO-NIR) confirmed yesterday.

In a statement, LTO-NIR officer-in-charge Director Jeck Conlu said the six drivers were among those who underwent the random drug test during the 2025 “Oplan Harabas” operation at the Bacolod North Terminal on October 29.

“The LTO-NIR is determined to ensure that every PUV driver is drug-free and fit to drive, aggressively eliminating any threat posed by impaired drivers to public safety on the region’s roads,” he added.

The ban or revocation means perpetual disqualification from holding a license again.

According to the LTO, disqualified individuals are placed under an alarm list to ensure that they can never operate a motor vehicle legally in the Philippines.

Conlu said these drivers tested positive for shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), based on the results released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Western Visayas, using rigorous gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

Of the six, two are traditional jeepney drivers, while four others are modern bus drivers.

They were part of a group of 100 individuals who were tested during the “Oplan Harabas,” which was a  critical part of the Department of Transportation’s  “Oplan Biyaheng Ayos: Undas 2025” campaign. (PNA)