LTO-6 suspends taxi driver over dangerous swerve

By Jennifer P. Rendon and Gerome Dalipe

A taxi driver in Iloilo City has been suspended for six months after dashcam footage showed him swerving into another vehicle’s lane, clipping its front bumper, and leaving without stopping.

The Land Transportation Office in Western Visayas, or LTO-6, also placed the driver’s license under alarm, a systemwide flag across LTO offices, in connection with the incident involving a unit of Guadalupe Taxi Inc.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by lawyer Daniel Amular Jr., who said the Guadalupe taxi abruptly cut into his lane along the road toward Grand Plains Subdivision in Jaro, Iloilo City, then slowed down, forcing him to honk and overtake.

The collision was brief but was captured on Amular’s dashboard camera, which he submitted as evidence to LTO-6 investigators.

In his written reply, the taxi driver denied that a collision occurred.

He argued that he would have stopped had an accident actually happened because repair costs would have fallen on him.

He also said he consistently uses his signal lights when changing lanes.

LTO-6’s Intelligence and Investigation Unit rejected his defense, saying he presented no witnesses or supporting evidence to counter the dashcam footage.

The agency said the video constituted substantial evidence showing the taxi entering Amular’s lane without warning and striking the complainant’s vehicle.

“His claims are unsubstantiated, as no witness has come forward to corroborate his account, nor has he presented any evidence to support his version of events,” read the resolution approved by LTO-6 Regional Director Atty. Gaudioso P. Geduspan II.

“This Office strongly condemns inappropriate and unprofessional behaviors of PUV drivers as it fundamentally undermines public trust and the standards of the transportation sector. PUVs are expected to exercise extraordinary diligence in the transport of their passengers,” the resolution stated.

Guadalupe Taxi Inc., as the franchise holder responsible for its driver’s conduct, was also penalized for breach of franchise under Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01.

Joint Administrative Order No. 2014-01 sets the rules on apprehension and penalties involving public utility vehicles and other land transportation violations.