A NEWS report said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) found that many drivers of a company, one of whose buses was involved in an accident that killed a three-year-old girl and seriously injured her mother, failed a driving test.

LTFRB chairman Alberto Suansing was quoted as saying that out of 82 drivers of Jell Transport, only 34 ? that?s less than one-half ?passed the basic driving test.

That should come as no surprise to many people, particularly commuters who everyday put their lives in the hands of drivers who should not have been allowed out of the garage. Many people also seem to think that if you can drive a car or a jeep, you can already drive or operate anything ? a motorcycle, a bus, a 10-wheeler, trailer truck, heavy machinery, etc.

We know how things work here, so you cannot be certain that a person issued a license to drive was really the one who took the required test. I have met people who have not even spent a single minute behind a wheel, and yet are the proud possessors of driver?s licenses. All they had to do was find somebody who could get them the license without their having to show up for the tests. The learning came much later, if at all.

If actual driving skill seems to be an optional requirement among licensed Filipino drivers, knowledge of traffic rules and the ability to recognize traffic signs seem to be not even expected from them at all. ?No left turn,? ?No parking,? ?One-way,? ?Do not enter? and a whole slew of signs are ignored by many drivers.

A foreigner, after observing how driving here does not seem to have any rhyme or reason, said Filipinos probably manage to have fewer serious accidents despite the chaotic traffic situation simply because almost everyone is driving defensively, as there is no telling what other motorists would do.

Suansing was reported as considering the idea of making drivers of public utility vehicles retake the driver?s test. Those who would fail would have to undergo retraining. He would probably find that many of the drivers have not even taken the test before they were issued licenses, and have not undergone any kind of training to qualify as drivers.

The plan, of course, is being opposed by PUV drivers, which is not surprising. If Jell Transport is any indication, majority of them would probably not pass a real test that they have to take themselves.

Suansing should proceed with the retest regardless of the drivers? opposition. Public safety demands it. While he is at it, he should also require drivers to undergo more specialized tests that would determine if they are qualified to drive whatever vehicle they operate. Other countries require drivers to pass other tests-and get other licenses ? before they can drive a bus, an ordinary truck, a trailer truck, etc. One driver?s license does not fit all vehicles. New or more skills are required from a taxi driver who wants to shift to operating a bus, for example.

About time

I was pleasantly surprised when I had my air-conditioning unit cleaned by technicians of JT Service Specialists Inc., authorized service center of Carrier, among others. The cleaning crew arrived at the time I requested and I did not even have to follow-up to make sure they were coming.

Moreover, after the technicians were through, they asked me to accomplish a service assessment form that asked, among others, about punctuality and quality of service. After-sales service has often caused me a lot of grief. Technicians do not show up at the time you specify, they do not have the right tools or spare parts even if you warn them what the problem is, and you have to call several times before you get the assurance they will show up at all. I am glad at least one company is trying to do something to improve their service and make life easier for clients.

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