The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has ordered the registered owner and designated driver of a Hino concrete transit mixer to explain “serious concerns about road safety and possible violations of existing traffic laws” after a video showing a child operating the heavy vehicle went viral on social media.
On Saturday, April 4, the LTO suspended the truck driver’s license and placed the concrete mixer under alarm status as part of its administrative investigation.
The video clip, posted in a private Facebook group, quickly spread online and drew public outrage.
In its show cause order, the agency stressed that the incident highlights grave safety risks and potential breaches of traffic regulations.
The LTO stressed that the incident adds to growing scrutiny over road safety enforcement as it tightens oversight on reckless driving incidents caught on video and shared online.
The agency directed the registered owner and designated driver of the concrete mixer to appear before its Office of Intelligence and Investigation Division (IID) on Monday, April 13, at 11:00 a.m. and submit a sworn comment to show cause why the driver should not be held administratively liable.
It cited possible violations that include reckless driving under Section 48 of Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code; and raised the issue of whether the designated driver is an “improper person to operate a motor vehicle” under Section 27(a) of the same law.
The LTO further flagged a potential breach of Republic Act 11229, or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which regulates how minors are transported in vehicles.
According to LTO, road safety advocates have long warned about the dangers posed by unqualified drivers handling large vehicles such as transit mixers.
These trucks carry significant weight and require specialized skill to operate and incidents involving them can lead to severe injuries or fatalities.
“In the interim, the involved driver is hereby ordered to immediately surrender his/her Driver’s License at the IID and shall be placed under 90 days preventive suspension,” the LTO said.
“Provisionally, the Hino truck concrete transit mixer is likewise placed under alarm,” it added, indicating restrictions on the vehicle’s use while the case is under investigation.
The LTO stressed that both parties must appear and respond to the allegations, warning that failure to do so would allow the investigation to proceed without their side. (Martin Sadongdong)
