MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation and Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday conducted inspections of various bus terminals in Metro Manila as the country grapples with the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
LTFRB central office enforcers went to 12 bus terminals in Quezon City to check their compliance to Memorandum Circular No. 2020-005, which mandates them to ensure the cleanliness of facilities and availability of disinfectants and sanitizers that passengers could use for free.
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LTFRB found that Dominion Bus Lines was the only terminal in full compliance with the memorandum, even providing vitamins, alcohol, tissue for their drivers and conductors.
READ: LTFRB amended guidelines on coronavirus call for decontamination of PUVs
Meanwhile, only Jac Liner Inc. was equipped with a thermometer gun to check the body temperature of passengers alighting their Public Utility Buses (PUB).
Other terminals have alcohol and sanitizers available but were seen as an inadequate measure to ensure that all passengers, drivers, and conductors are protected, the regulator noted.
In a recent press briefing, LTFRB chair Martin Delgra III reiterated that it’s the responsibility of operators/franchise holders to provide face masks to their drivers and conductors in compliance to MC No. 2020-005.
As of posting time, the Department of Health (DOH) has reported 33 confirmed cases of COVID -19, a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus that first emerged in China’s city of Wuhan in Hubei province in late 2019.
The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2.
For most people, the virus causes mild symptoms like fever and cough. But it can also cause serious illness such as pneumonia for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems.
To prevent infection, health authorities are encouraging the public to practice regular hand washing, cover the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and avoid close contact with those who show respiratory symptoms.