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A government official is calling for passenger bus companies in Manila to install GPS tracking devices, which will make it easier for police to catch drivers with a heavy foot.

Rep. Toby Tiangco says the GPS devices he wants place on each bus will collect data and send it to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). The MMDA will not only have the right to ticket speeders, but also arrest bus drivers who have not installed a GPS tracking device.

This legislation may be a great idea, especially since the heavily traveled Commonwealth Avenue was recently widened from four lanes to a whopping ten.  Commonwealth Avenue has been dubbed “killer highway” by residents of Manila, and rightfully so.

More than 2,700 accidents were reported in the year 2010, one of them involving Chit Estella-Simbulan, a professor at the University of the Phillipines and journalist.  A passenger bus traveling at a very high speed crashed into her taxi from behind, killing her.

Rep. Tiangco feels the GPS devices will lower accident rates while also making it easier on police to catch speeders.  Currently, the width of the road makes it difficult for authorities to effectively nab wrongdoers.

Article Written by Khristen Foss