Sen. Grace Poe on Wednesday said she would push for the reinstatement of a P27-million fund for road safety programs, logistics and equipment such as breathalyzers.
Poe made the statement during the hearing of the Senate Public Services Committee, which tackled bills seeking to declare every third week of November as the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims.
Transportation Underscretary Mark Richmund de Leon told the panel that the proposed budget for 2020 had no appropriation for road safety programs.
Families of victims of car crashes told the panel during the hearing that a number of cases involving vehicular accidents were dismissed due to lack of evidence such as proof that the driver was drunk, because there were no tests conducted.
“It has to be funded, it has to be a priority because prevention and safety are paramount in the transportation system that we have,” Poe said.
Poe also raised the creation of a single traffic authority similar to the existing Inter-Agency Council for Traffic, a proposal that had also been made by the transport department. (PressONE.ph)