MANILA – The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) has so far assisted 401 essential employees through its free ride program.
In a statement Friday, PNP-HPG chief, Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz said the program organized by the Police Community Affairs and Development Group (PCADG) which started Thursday helped in transporting medical workers, bank employees, grocery store employees and other frontline workers exempted from the quarantine from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Passengers will be subjected to thermal scanning to get their body temperatures and will be checked for possible symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Social distancing or a gap of at least one meter between passengers will be observed to minimize the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Trucks will be disinfected before and after every trip.
Various routes within Metro Manila up to the provincial boundaries are as follows:
Vehicle 1 Route: Crame to Novaliches Bayan and vice versa
-Edsa Cubao
-East Avenue
-Quezon Memorial Circle
-Commonwealth
-SM Fairview
-Novaliches Bayan
Vehicle 2 Route: Crame to Antipolo via Marcos Highway
-Edsa Cubao
-Marikina
-Antipolo
Vehicle 3 Route: Crame to Bacoor, Cavite via Edsa/Parañaque Service Road and vice versa
-Edsa South Bound
-Airport Road
-Zapote
Vehicle 4 Route: Crame to Valenzuela via Edsa and vice versa
-Crame Edsa North Bound
-Balintawak
-Monumento
-Valenzuela
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has deployed 72 buses and two modern public utility vehicles to ferry essential workers in 13 routes rolled out by the Department of Transportation.
The measure aims to assist essential workers affected by the ban on public transportation in Luzon in compliance with the government’s enhanced community quarantine. (with reports from Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
