Resumption of 2nd phase of public transport to proceed on June 22

FILE: ‘MANIC’ MONDAY. Commuters wait for public utility vehicles at the Marikina-Infanta Highway in Antipolo City, Rizal on Monday (June 1, 2020). Mass transportation, except for jeepneys, resumed operations at a limited capacity under a more relaxed general community quarantine in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. (PNA photo by Joey Razon)

MANILA – The second phase of the resumption of public transport will proceed even if Metro Manila and other parts of the country remain under general community quarantine (GCQ), Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will roll out the second phase of public transport, which allows public utility buses (PUBs), modern public utility vehicles (PUVs), and UV Express with limited passenger capacity from June 22-30, 2020.

During the first phase from June 1-21, 2020, only train and bus augmentation, bus augmentation units, taxis and Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS), shuttle services, point-to-point buses, and bicycles are allowed.

“Alam ko po sa (What I know is that on) June 22, they will implement the next phase of the DOTr…That will continue whether or not we are in GCQ,” he said in a virtual presser.

Roque, however, said he has to verify whether the DOTr will also allow provincial buses to resume operations.

“The question mark po are the provincial buses because I know that while under GCQ e parang wala pa. Wala pang provincial buses (they’re still not allowed),” he added.

He said he will verify with transport officials which type of public transport will be allowed to resume operations.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte retained the GCQ classification in Metro Manila until June 30.

Other areas under GCQ are provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Tarlac, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor; and cities of Santiago, Olongapo, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Zamboanga, and Davao.

The rest of the country remains under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) until the end of the month.

Duterte, meanwhile, reverted Cebu City from GCQ to a stricter enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the increasing number of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases and widespread community transmission in the majority of barangays in the city.

He also placed Talisay City, a component city under the province of Cebu, under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) until June 30 for the same reasons.

PUJ for delivery services

Since traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) will still be prohibited under GCQ, Roque said that DOTr will also facilitate the PUJ modernization program wherein PUJs will have a seating arrangement that is similar to modern buses instead of the traditional PUJ where passengers face each other.

“Ang sabi ng DOTr, itutuloy po nila ang jeepney modernization at magbibigay po tayo ng tulong para yung mga displaced jeepney operators ay makasapi po dito sa jeepney modernization program (The DOTr said they will push through with the jeepney modernization and will give help to displaced jeepney operators so that they can be part of the program),” he said.

Roque also assured that the DOTr’s plan to tap PUJs for delivery services is also in the works.

“I think it will happen that at the very minimum, ang mga jeepney drivers ay magiging (that jeepney drivers will be tapped for) delivery service,” he said.

Earlier, Roque said PUJ drivers are also being eyed as contact tracers since the country needs to hire around 120,000 contact tracers nationwide to augment the existing over 30,000 contact tracers.

Roque also assured that PUJ drivers are guaranteed cash aid ranging from PHP5,000 to PHP8,000 under the government’s social amelioration program (SAP).

He said the government is also studying the possibility of introducing a third tranche of subsidy for PUJ drivers.

Around 500,000 PUJ drivers were displaced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to transport group Piston.