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WE’VE
written about this many times: We are turning out unruly
drivers because of the fact that anybody can get a
driver’s license as long as he has the money to pay for
the fees.
All one
has to do is drop by an Land Transportation Office (LTO)
field office, pay the corresponding registration fees,
undergo several “questionable” tests (such as urine,
eyesight and so-called medicals) and presto! One can get
a driver’s license on the same day. Gone are the days
when one had to take a driving test alongside an LTO
official inside an actual vehicle.
Although
there are several driving schools around that offer
driving courses to those who are interested in applying
for a license, many say their instructors lack knowledge
in basic driving techniques and road signs.
A
colleague reported to us one day that he texted the LTO
chief, Undersecretary Bert Suansing, regarding an
incident he encountered on the road. He said he was
driving along a national road in Manila when he noticed
a marked car of a driving school running very slowly on
the inner lane. It was apparently being driven by a
student driver.
“The
traffic was very light so you can notice the very
slow-moving car of the said driving school. So, I drove
beside the said car and told the instructor, ‘ang
mabagal sa kanan,’” our colleague said.
He was
very much surprised when the instructor retorted: “Bakit,
highway ba ito?” So, our colleague immediately
texted the good LTO chief, who immediately answered: “Mali
po ’yung instructor. The rule in any roadway is that
the slower vehicle should stay on the outer lane.
Nakuha po ninyo ang pangalan ng driving school?”
Our
colleague gave him the name of the driving school and
the corresponding plate number of the car. We don’t know
what happened after that.
One
friend asked me if it was okay for a driving school to
dispatch him right away to a busy road with an
instructor right after paying the corresponding fees. “Nabigla
naman ako talaga nu’ng isabak ako sa gitna ng
traffic. Sa sobrang nerbiyos ko halos wala akong
natutunan sa nangyari. Mantakin mo namang ’yun lang ang
unang pagkakataon ko na magmaneho ng sasakyan!” said
the poor guy.
The
session took almost an hour, and when he was told to
come back for another one-hour session the next day, our
friend never went back. “Hindi ko na hiningi pa ’yung
ibinayad ko kahit na isang araw lang ang pagtuturo sa
akin. Mamamatay ako sa nerbiyos sa ginawa nila sa akin,”
he added.
Just
recently, a big gasoline company brought together a
group of motorists who participated in a fuel-saving
challenge where we observed the ignorance of some
instructor-drivers from a popular driving school.
One was
assigned to our group along with a vehicle of the said
driving school. After giving us some tips, he showed us
the way around the block. To our surprise, we saw him
place his right hand on the inside of the steering wheel
while executing a left turn.
That’s a
no-no in driving because it would render you incapable
of reacting properly to an emergency.
How many
such driver-instructors are teaching in all those
driving schools? How many students have undergone
training from them? These driving schools, which have
defective driver-instructors, are developing defective
drivers for tomorrow.
Is the
LTO doing something about this? Let’s ask LTO chief Bert
Suansing about this.
****
THOSE
politicians who have converted their expensive SUVs and
big vans to liquefied petroleum gas or LPG should
refrain from endorsing it unless they can enlighten the
public on the possible consequences involved.
There’s
really a big difference between the cost of oil and
LPG—more than P20 in some cases. That’s why several
politicians have been endorsing LPG in many of their
interviews on TV, radio and even newspapers.
As of
this writing, the cost of LPG in this country is around
P33 compared with P60 for regular unleaded gasoline.
This is because the country’s total LPG consumption
(including households) has not reached the same level as
gasoline. That’s why the government has not slapped
extra taxes on LPG.
But when
LPG consumption reaches the same level as gasoline, the
government will surely levy the same taxes on it. This
should be emphasized to those who intend to convert to
LPG.
The sale
of LPG conversion kits is now booming simply because of
the mass exodus of many motorists from gasoline and
diesel to LPG. And the cost is expensive—between P20,000
to P60,000. When taxis in Metro Manila were first
encouraged to convert to LPG, the cost of LPG was only
P15 per liter. Less than a year has passed and LPG
refueling stations have mushroomed all over the
metropolis. Unfortunately, LPG now costs P33 per liter! |
