EDITORIAL - Safety must be utmost priority

At least 100 new registered motorcycle-for-hire or habal-habal drivers have recently undergone training on road safety and traffic rules conducted by the Cebu City government and Angkas, an online motorcycle booking application.

Part of the training that is aimed at lessening traffic accidents was an exercise identifying street signs. Habal-habal drivers were also oriented on the proper transportation pricing and the need for them to be professional in dealing with passengers.

The city government has been helping habal-habal to be recognized as a legitimate form of mass transportation around the city, especially in the mountain areas. In fact, Mayor Tomas Osmeña is moving heaven and earth for the national authorities to legalize the operation of habal-habal.

Well, it is understandable that City Hall had to go the extra mile in helping the habal-habal sector. Cebuanos really know that below such effort of the local government lies boiling political undertones, with the next electoral campaign period just months away.

But let’s leave the political aspect alone. It’s a business only those vote-seeking city officials understand. Let’s settle for a more serious part concerning the safety of both habal-habal driver and his passenger now that the operation of motorcycles-for-hire in the city goes full blast.

It’s good that the city has come up with the training for habal-habal drivers. For this only means it is giving the safety of both the driver and passenger utmost priority. However, can it really guarantee that rules and regulations will be followed by those drivers competing for passengers?

Many raised this question in the wake of issues involving some habal-habal drivers who tend to violate street signs and charge their passengers hefty fares. While the training is good for the advancement of the habal-habal sector, what needs to be assured is the effort to sustain what those drivers learned from the training.