Bill establishing PH transportation safety board gets House nod

FILE: Motorists endure heavy traffic on Edsa northbound, near the Guadalupe MRT-3 station around 11 a.m. Thursday (March 31, 2022). (PNA photo by Ben Briones)

MANILA – The House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified a bicameral conference committee report on a bill establishing the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB), which shall be the primary agency responsible for the impartial investigation of transportation-related accidents.

During the plenary session, the chamber approved the final version that reconciles the disagreeing provisions of House Bill 9030 and Senate Bill 1077, to be known as the proposed Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB) Act.

The PTSB, which shall be an independent and a non-regulatory agency under the Office of the President, shall ensure the maintenance of a safe, viable, efficient, and dependable transportation system in the country; improve transportation safety measures in order to prevent accidents; and ensure the implementation of transportation safety standards.

House Transportation Committee chair Edgar Sarmiento, the author of the bill, said the country lacks a primary agency in-charge of ensuring the safety of the various modes of transportation.

He said the institution of the PTSB would allow the government to prevent accidents through the imposition of safety standards.

He noted that it would allow the government to continuously improve transportation safety policies.

“Once accidents do occur, our citizens would be assured that definite measures were taken to ensure that it will not happen again. The issue of transportation safety is not one to be debated on. We should always strive to ensure that our motorists and commuters will be able to move from one place to another without any difficulties,” Sarmiento said.

The proposed government agency shall have jurisdiction over all major or fatal transportation accidents or those of alarming nature that result in physical injury or loss of life or property, or those that cause substantial damage or destruction of property or surroundings.