PUV drivers to undergo drug testing every three months amid rising road fatalities

In response to a spate of deadly road accidents, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered mandatory drug and alcohol testing for all drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and motorcycle taxis every 90 days.

In a press conference at the DOTr office in San Juan City on May 5, DOTr  Secretary Vince Dizon signed Department Order No. 2025-008 in compliance with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure justice for the victims of a May 1 bus crash along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) that left 10 dead and 37 injured.

“We need to make the people feel safe on our roads again. This is the sad reality… and this needs to change now,” Dizon said.

The fatal crash involved a speeding Pangasinan Solid North Transit Inc. (PSNTI) bus that plowed into four vehicles near the SCTEX exit in Tarlac City.

Dizon expressed outrage over reports that the bus driver, who reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, initially refused to take a drug test.

“Wala po siyang choice. Hindi ka pwedeng hindi pumayag. Nakapatay ka ng sampung tao, hindi ka papayag magpa-drug test, pwede ba ‘yun?” Dizon said.

The driver, now in police custody, later tested negative for illegal drugs.

Under the new department order, operators, owners, and drivers of all PUVs, including buses, jeepneys, UV Express vans, ride-hailing vehicles, and motorcycle taxis, must undergo regular drug and alcohol testing.

The alcohol testing must be conducted using a breathalyzer before dispatch or deployment, and any blood alcohol concentration above 0.0 percent will be considered proof of intoxication.

Drivers are also required to undergo drug testing every six months and during random or reasonable suspicion checks.

The cost of testing must be covered by the operators or owners and cannot be deducted from drivers’ salaries, according to DO No. 2025-008.

PUV drivers must carry the test results while operating, and failure to present them during inspections will result in license confiscation and vehicle impoundment.

Refusal to comply or submit to testing will lead to the revocation of driver’s licenses and cancellation of operating permits.

The DOTr, Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Department of Health (DOH) will jointly enforce the measure.

The Dizon vowed to tighten the system to prevent drivers from escaping mandatory drug testing.

Dizon also ordered a reduction in the maximum number of consecutive driving hours from six to four to reduce fatigue-related incidents, and as for longer trips, operators must deploy a backup driver, not just a conductor, as a substitute.

“The President has demanded action and all of us here will act,” Dizon told LTFRB Chair Teofilo Guadiz III and LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II during the briefing.

Over the weekend, PSNTI suspended the operations of its 278 buses following the LTFRB’s suspension order.

Other provincial buses were granted special permits to temporarily serve the routes left by PSNTI to minimize disruptions to commuters.

Aside from criminal charges, the DOTr reiterated it would pursue civil cases against PSNTI.

“This means we will demand compensation over and above the usual TPL (third-party liability) insurance,” said Dizon.

They also pushed for the full implementation of RA 10916, or the Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016, and called on the Supreme Court to lift the restraining order on the no-contact apprehension policy.

Dizon then proposed outsourcing the Motor Vehicle Inspection System to address the LTO’s manpower shortage, as the weak implementation of vehicle inspections, saying many PUVs remain unsafe due to regulators failing to properly check roadworthiness, such as faulty brakes.

“We know that your officers are not properly checking buses and jeepneys. That’s why many of them have failing brakes,” he told transport regulators.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro backed the reforms but urged officials to study their economic impact on drivers.

“Siyempre kapag nabawas ang oras, bawas din ang kita ng drivers kaya mas maganda pong masusing pag-aralan ito para sa mga commuters and passengers,” Castro said.

The Department of Migrant Workers also pledged support to an overseas Filipino worker whose child was killed in a separate crash at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on May 4.

The government said these reforms aim to overhaul a ‘broken system’ and ensure that the roads are safe for all Filipinos.