Driving school for bus drivers

If you read the news following a holiday weekend in Panama you’ve likely read about a horrible bus crash leaving numerous victims injured or even dead.

The reality is, If passenger vehicles continue to travel the InterAmerican highway at high speeds without regard for traffic or dangerous turns, the results will remain the same. More people traveling will result in an increase of accidents, and sadly an increase in fatalities. Unless we do something about it. Generally, change begins with education, and that is where the  National Vocational Training Institute for Human Development (Inadeh), the Transit Authority (ATTT) and the Panama Freight Forwarder Association (Atracapa), plan to start.

Starting June 2018 commercial drivers will need to undergo training to obtain type F, G and H licenses. These licenses are necessary to operate trucks, 16-seat -passenger buses, mules, along with cargo vehicles cranes and tippers.

The training, offered by the National Vocational Training Institute for Human Development (Inadeh), is part of a list of new regulations created by Inadeh, the Transit Authority (ATTT) and the Panama Freight Forwarder Association (Atracapa). 

The coordinator of the Heavy Equipment Training area, Jorge Montenegro, explained that, once this agreement is approved Inadeh will have more instructors to enable the training. Omar Medina, Director of Cargo Transport of the ATTT, said that the new regulations will oblige freight carriers to take annual training and sit in on workshops speaking about road safety, order, and control on the roads.