Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22) — The Department of Transportation is considering the partial resumption of some modes of public transportation as the country continues to grapple with the COVID-19 crisis.
In a virtual presser on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade bared that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has started discussing whether to allow partial operation of public transportation amid the pandemic.
Tugade said studies on the issue were already presented by the National Economic Development Authority during their last meeting, but noted that public utility vehicles cannot operate in a full capacity.
“Nabanggit na kung magkakaroon ng partial operability ng public transportation, lalo’t higit sa mga buses, dapat may 30 percent operational capacity upang sa ganun, [masunod] ang tinatawag na social distancing,” he said during the Laging Handa briefing with government officials.
[Translation: It was mentioned in the meeting that if public transportation will have partial operation, especially in buses, there can only be 30 percent operational capacity so that we can still follow social distancing.]
Tugade said the same thing will apply if operations will resume in railway systems such as the Light Rail Transit-1, LRT-2, Metro Rail Transit-3 and the Philippine National Railways.
He did not specify when the proposal will likely be approved.
But should they get a go-signal from the IATF, Tugade said they will have to strictly impose social distancing and other safety measures within public vehicles.
“No mask, no ride. Iyong thermal scanning, kailangan ginagawa rin ito (Thermal scanning must also be done before letting passengers enter),” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the entire Luzon under the enhanced community quarantine last March 17 in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the region. All modes of public transportation were put to a halt and non-essential establishments were ordered to close down to limit people’s movement.
Duterte is expected to decide on Thursday whether the lockdown will go beyond April 30.
To date, the country has recorded 6,599 cases of COVID-19, including 654 recoveries and 437 fatalities.
