LTO-NIR heightens road safety enforcement, conducts random drug test on drivers

January 7, 2026

A public utility jeepney (PUJ) driver in Bacolod City tested positive for illegal drug use during a surprise test of 101 drivers as part of Oplan Harabas, a joint inter-agency law enforcement operation, at the Bacolod South Terminal on Monday.

In a statement, Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region (LTO-NIR) Director Jeck Conlu said they confiscated the license of the 57-year-old driver, who plies the Shopping-La Salle-Libertad route.

“He is scheduled to undergo a confirmatory test. Appropriate sanctions, including possible license revocation, will be imposed on him,” he added.

Sanctions for violators are provided under the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013.

Oplan Harabas, jointly conducted by the LTO-NIR, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, aims to prevent impaired driving and ensure the safety of commuters.

“We are urging transport operators to remain vigilant in monitoring their drivers and personnel,” Conlu said.

“We had a long holiday season. At the start of the year, we want to make sure that drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) are not using illegal drugs to ensure commuter safety.”

Aside from traditional PUJ drivers, drivers of Ceres Liner buses and other PUVs, such as taxis, tricycles, and modernized jeepneys, as well as bus conductors, were also tested.* (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)