MANILA – Social distancing rules in public transport would start to ease beginning Monday, Sept. 14.
The country’s coronavirus task force approved the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) proposal to increase ridership.
Physical distancing could be adjusted to 0.75 meters from one meter since health protocols such as the use of facemasks and face shields are already being enforced, the DOTr said in a proposal to the task force.
According to Transportation chief Arthur Tugade, this can then be adjusted to 0.5 meters and later to 0.3 meters to “allow optimization of ridership.”
“There is a need to safely optimize the carrying capacity of various public transport modes as we continue with the transition towards the ‘new normal’ where more workers are expected to return to their re-opened workplaces and more businesses are expected to resume operations that were stopped during the enforcement of strict quarantine measures,” Tugade said.
Most forms of public transport were allowed to operate under general community quarantine but under reduced capacity and strict health protocols.
For jeepneys and buses, reducing physical distancing means standing passengers “may be accommodated,” the DOTr said.
The adjusted capacity for roll-on, roll-off passenger vehicles were the following:
* one meter: 50 percent
* 0.75-meter: 75 percent
* 0.5-meter: 85 percent
* 0.3-meter: 100 percent
Meanwhile, more passengers will also be allowed entry in airports and seaports.
National Task Force for COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez supports the optimization of physical distancing measures between passengers while aboard public utility vehicles.
“Optimizing the physical distance between passengers inside PUVs without sacrificing strict health and safety protocols such as wearing of facemasks and face shields will help soothe the transportation woes of Filipino commuters. With public transportation, there is faster recovery of lives and livelihoods as we push forward under the new normal,” Galvez said./PN
