ILOILO – Several public utility vehicles (PUVs) plying active routes in Iloilo City were spotted free of plastic dividers separating passengers. But Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. is not yet ordering the same for jeepneys here.
The province should wait for guidance from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID), according to Defensor.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) previously said plastic barriers were no longer necessary, admitting their use to supposedly prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has no scientific basis.
Defensor said his Executive Order (EO) No. 646 remains effective, particularly Section 5, or the guidelines on public transportation.
It states:
* for pedicabs, only one passenger shall be allowed;
* for motorcycles, only one back rider shall be allowed;
* for tricycles, only one passenger in the side-car shall be allowed;
* For jeepneys:
– passengers shall be one seat apart
– between passengers, there shall be a barrier made of impermeable and transparent material
– only one passenger shall be allowed on the driver’s row
– no standing passengers shall be allowed
* For buses:
– passengers shall be one seat apart
– between passengers, there shall be a barrier made of impermeable and transparent material; and no standing passengers shall be allowed
* For transport vans:
– passengers shall be one seat apart
– between passengers, there shall be a barrier made of impermeable and transparent material
* For motorized bangkas, passengers shall be one seat apart
* For taxi vehicles:
– only one passenger shall be allowed on the driver’s row
– a maximum of two passengers shall be allowed per row
– between the driver and the passengers, there shall be a barrier made of impermeable and transparent material.
* Other private vehicles shall be allowed one-half of their seating capacity; Provided that, only one passenger shall be allowed on the driver’s row; and Passengers, drivers and conductors/crew of PUVs shall observe the minimum public health standards.
Defensor reminded the law enforcers to strictly implement the executive order, especially with regards to the barriers./PN
