THE Land Transportation Office (LTO) has summoned the registered owner and driver of a taxi (plate number ABE-2064) that caught fire on EDSA in Quezon City on Wednesday.
LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, announced the issuance of a Show Cause Order (SCO) to investigate the vehicle’s roadworthiness and determine liability for the incident.
“The vehicle was used to transport passengers, and what happened was extremely dangerous. It endangered not only the driver but, more importantly, the passengers,” said Mendoza.
The LTO emphasized the need to verify whether the vehicle was regularly maintained, a critical requirement for public transportation vehicles.
Summons Details
The SCO, signed by LTO Intelligence and Investigation Division Chief Renante Melitante, requires both the registered owner and the driver to appear at the LTO Central Office on January 27. They are also required to submit notarized affidavits explaining the circumstances of the incident.
The explanation must address why they should not be held administratively liable for failing to ensure the vehicle’s roadworthiness prior to operation.
“Failure to attend or to provide a comment will be considered a waiver of the right to be heard. The case will then be resolved based on available records,” the SCO stated.
Incident Overview
The fire occurred along EDSA in Barangay Sto. Cristo, Quezon City, posing significant risks to public safety.
The LTO investigation aims to establish accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future, reinforcing the importance of maintaining public transport vehicles to ensure passenger safety.