Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday called for the passage of Senate Bill 1121 or the Philippine Transportation Safety Board Act as she expressed her sympathies to the families of the bus crash victims in Antique.

In a statement, Poe said the proposed measure would cover the strict inspection of public vehicles, driver’s licensing, and safety measures to prevent road accidents.

“We reiterate our push for our pending bill to create a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that will solely be responsible (for) investigating transportation-related incidents in air, land, and sea, including railways and pipeline systems,” she said.

Poe has been advocating for the creation of the NTSB by law to consolidate the overlapping mandates of various agencies concerned with transportation safety.

“Concerned agencies must also ensure that the fees collected from vehicle registration and relevant taxes go to road safety measures, such as street lights, railings, and signboards,” she said.

Poe said she is expecting the government to provide all the assistance they need.

The fatal accident, which happened on Tuesday afternoon allegedly due to a brake malfunction, killed 17 people. (PNA)