Two drivers from Solid North Bus Inc. tested positive for illegal drugs, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) revealed on Friday. The findings emerged from a mandatory drug screening conducted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO), following a deadly road accident involving the bus company.
The drivers who tested positive will undergo confirmatory testing and could face permanent revocation of their licenses along with potential criminal charges, the DOTr said.
This development comes in the wake of the tragic Labor Day crash along the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), where one of Solid North’s buses was involved in an accident that claimed 10 lives.
The DOTr also reported that only 46 of the 276 Solid North buses inspected in Zambales so far have passed roadworthiness checks. LTO inspections of the remaining fleet are still ongoing.
“These actions are part of the government’s intensified effort to protect passengers and ensure safer road travel,” the DOTr said, emphasizing Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon’s commitment to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize commuter safety.