ILOILO City – Commuters musn’t talk or eat inside jeepneys and buses.
Amid the spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered the strict implementation of health protocols in public transport.
When an infected person opens his mouth, he could expel droplets with coronavirus, according to DOTr.
Here, regional offices of its two agencies – Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) – started another round of information dissemination on the importance of wearing facemasks and physical distancing inside public transport vehicles.
Drivers were also reminded to regularly disinfect their units.
“Not only the passengers. Drivers, too, should always wear facemask. They should always disinfect ila mga salakyan. Passengers, on the other hand, must observe the appropriate physical distancing, according to Atty. Allan Sacramento, acting chief of LTO Region 6’s operations division in an interview with Panay News.
Sacramento also disclosed that LTO and LTFRB were eyeing 70 percent maximum seating capacity.
“We observed the capacity of public utility vehicles. Ang iban ara sa full capacity. This should not be. Passengers have to maintain physical distancing,” he stressed.
Fighting COVID-19 is a shared responsibility, said Sacramento.
“Tanan kita. It’s not only the LTO or LTFRB ang dapat mag-monitor or mag-encourage sang aton pag-obserbar sa health protocols. Kita dapat nga individual mag-observe kay responsibilidad man nataon ina,” said Sacramento.
In Manila, DOTr secretary Arthur Tugade said the safety of commuters is always paramount.
“We must make sure that health protocols are strictly implemented in all public transport vehicles and in all transport facilities,” Tugade said.
But as enforcers and transport marshals cannot be watching all the time, Tugade urged commuters to be vigilant against those who will be breaking protocols
“We need everyone’s cooperation. We cannot do this alone. Passengers, drivers, and operators, let us help one another. Be responsible and disciplined,” he said./PN