LTO Goes After Government Pickup Truck Spotted Hauling Passengers on Its Cargo Bed
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has issued a show cause order against the driver of a government-owned pickup truck that went viral on social media after photos showed three passengers casually riding on its cargo bed — a clear violation of traffic laws that prohibit passengers on open truck beds.
In a statement released Wednesday, the LTO said both the driver and the registered owner of the vehicle have been summoned to a hearing on March 10 at 3 p.m. at the LTO Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID). They need to explain why they shouldn't face administrative charges for allowing passengers to ride sa likod ng truck na designed for cargo, hindi tao.
The agency isn't messing around either — the driver's license has been preventively suspended for 90 days, and the government vehicle itself has been placed under an LTO alarm, which means no transactions like registration renewal or transfer of ownership can happen while the investigation is ongoing.
On top of that, the driver could face charges of being an "improper person to operate a motor vehicle," which could result in further license suspension or outright revocation. The LTO warned that if the respondents fail to appear at the hearing or submit their verified explanation, the case will be resolved based on existing evidence — which, thanks to the viral photos, is pretty damning.
This isn't the first time the LTO has cracked down on this common pero dangerous practice. Back in January, the agency called out a barangay service vehicle in a similar situation involving six passengers on the pickup bed. "Ang LTO ay nananawagan sa lahat ng motorista na sumunod sa mga batas trapiko upang masiguro ang kaligtasan ng lahat sa kalsada," the agency reminded the public.
Source: GMA News Online
