House Bill #5911 requires all ‘public utility vehicles’ (PUV) to install a speed limiter to curb the number of speed-related road accidents in the country.

The House of Representatives has approved a second reading of HB 5911 – this includes all buses, shuttle service vehicles and covered vehicles such as closed vans, cargo trailers and tanker trucks. 

The bill makes installation mandatory by refusing to register any PUV that does not have the speed limiter installed.

“By installing a speed limiter in public utility vehicles and multi-wheeler cargo trucks, every driver will be forced to drive under a calibrated and calculated speed, then, speed related accidents will diminish,” said Catanduanes Representative Cesar Sarmiento, chairman of the House transportation committee.

A recent rash of bus accidents has claimed the lives of numerous people throughout the Philippines in the past several week. In 2014 90,258 accidents happened in Metro Manila alone.

Under the new proposal, a fine of 50,000 pesos will be imposed on the driver, operator and owner of the vehicle if it is found to not have a speed limiter.

The bill also says they will enforce not only the fine but also suspend the licence of the offending driver for one month (first offence), three-months (second offence) and a total driving ban for any further offences.

First offences will also get vehicle franchise owners a three-month suspension, then six months and a year for subsequent offences.

Those found guilty of tampering with the speed limiter will face imprisonment of up to three years and a 30,000-peso fine.