The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) issued its guidelines for public utility vehicles (PUVs), transport terminals, and operators under the new normal.
All permitted PUVs, transport terminals, and operators must follow three essential components dictated in the protocol/guidelines, which are safety, capacity, and coverage or scope.
Safety refers to guidelines that reduce contact, transmission, and spread of the virus through the mandatory use of face masks and gloves for drivers. Thorough DISINFECTING practices of vehicles, terminals, and even among passengers are also required.
Capacity and passenger load factors will be required for each mode of transportation to ensure that physical distancing is followed.
DOTr ‘new normal’ guidelines for PUVs, private vehicle
Guidelines for buses, jeepneys, UV Express, and tricycles
- Passenger load for public utility buses (PUBs) and public utility jeepneys (PUJs) SHOULD NOT EXCEED 50 percent or half of the vehicle’s capacity, excluding driver and conductor.
- For UV Express and taxis, passenger load SHOULD NOT EXCEED TWO PASSENGERS PER ROW, except for the driver’s row where only one passenger is allowed.
- Tricycles must NOT EXCEED ONE PASSENGER in the side-car, while back riding is not be allowed.
- The mode of PUV that will operate in each route in the GCQ areas will be guided by the number of passengers that will be transported.
- PUVs with higher passenger capacity, such as buses, will be prioritized consistent with the Department Order No. 2017-011. In areas where buses are not enough to serve the actual passenger demand, or the road characteristics will not permit their operations, PUVMP compliant PUVs are the next priority. In areas with unavailable buses and modern PUVs, PUJ’s and UV Express may operate. In areas where no other mode of public transportation is available, tricycles may be permitted to operate as determined by the LTFRB in coordination with the corresponding LGU.
The LTFRB has already finalized the mechanism for issuing special permits to allow PUVs to operate. Drivers and operators may apply for the permit, free of charge, through LTFRB offices or by email through LTFRB’s online channels.
Also read: Add curfew in the ‘new normal’- Eleazar
Guidelines for private vehicles
- Private cars and motorcycles will be allowed to operate for essential travels, as defined by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).
- Private cars will only be allowed ONE PASSENGER to occupy the front passenger seat, while FRONT-FACING positions shall not exceed TWO PASSENGERS per row.
- Motorcycles are PROHIBITED from having BACK RIDE passengers. Meanwhile, the use of BICYCLES and similar devices are also highly encouraged, and LGUs are also encouraged to identify bike-lanes or bike-only roads.
- Private vehicle owners, PUV drivers, and operators, and private or public transport terminal operators who VIOLATE the guidelines will be SANCTIONED and PENALIZED.