Sen. Grace Poe yesterday sought the creation of a National Transportation Safety Board that will pay sufficient and strategic attention to the ills affecting the nation’s transportation sector.
Poe said her measure, Senate Bill No. 162, would create a dedicated panel that will oversee and coordinate efforts among the various agencies involved in transportation management.
She stressed the importance of her measure as the list of transportation-related injuries and casualties grow longer day by day.
Poe explained that her measure seeks to heighten the protection and safety of commuters and passengers across the country.
“The high incidence of transportation-related accidents, amid the low quality and inefficiency of transport services, necessitates a scientific and effective approach to ease the sufferings of our commuting public and improve our system for the long haul,” she stressed.
Under Poe’s bill, the NTSB shall be an independent and non-regulatory agency mandated to determine the probable cause of transportation-related accidents on land, sea, and air.
Its functions shall include conducting independent accident investigations; supporting safety programs based on continuing reviews of causes of unfortunate incidents; and assessing the operating practices and regulations of transportation-oriented government agencies. (Mario B. Casayuran)
