Mandatory road safety training for bus, truck drivers to start this year - LTFRB

Metro Manila, Philippines - Drivers and conductors of large vehicles such as buses and trucks will need to undergo road safety training to reduce accidents, the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said on Wednesday, March 5.

In an interview with NewsWatch Plus, LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz said the pilot implementation will be carried out for drivers and conductors in Metro Manila starting May.

The system will be applied in other cities such as Cebu and Davao, and may be implemented nationwide later this year. The training will be part of the requirements for franchise renewal, the LTFRB said.

Guadiz said the LTFRB is also looking at the possibility that jeepney and UV Express drivers may undergo similar training next year, while the last phase will be for motorcycle taxi riders.

According to the agency, the program will focus on lectures on road safety, anger management, and basic first aid.

Guadiz said LTFRB will put in a system to ensure that operators hire drivers who passed the mandatory training.

“We are confident that we will be able to reduce the number of violence and accidents on the streets. We cannot totally eradicate that but we are confident it will significantly drop,” he told NewsWatch Plus.

The LTFRB set a P2,000 enrollment fee for the program, but Guadiz said this will be free for cooperatives accredited by the agency.

“In the event na (that the) course will be undertaken by private entities like a driving school, ang (the) suggested retail price is P2,000. We have to set up a ceiling to prevent overprice,” he said.

LTFRB said the training has to be completed within two to eight days.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has recorded over 60,000 road accidents in 2024.