Manila, March 21 -- Senator Grace Poe on Friday renewed her call for the immediate passage of a bill creating the Philippine Transportation Safety Board (PTSB), an independent agency that would centralize and professionalize investigations into land, sea, air and rail accidents.

Senate Bill No. 1121 seeks to address the persistent rise in transport-related fatalities and injuries by establishing a dedicated body focused not only on investigating but also preventing accidents through policy reform, research, and safety oversight.

"Lives are lost and injuries are sustained daily by motorists for reasons that could have been prevented in the first place. This is simply unacceptable," Poe said in a news release.

Citing Metropolitan Manila ...