Palace: Jeepneys barred to operate during GCQ eyed in delivery services

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to make jeepneys, notably the old ones that are not allowed to ply the road, in delivery services, Malacañang revealed Tuesday.

Jeepneys remain barred from plying their routes despite the shift of several areas to general community quarantine (GCQ) where public transportation resumed limited operation.

“Kanina po, kasama ko rin si [DOTr] Secretary Tugade, meron din silang planong gawing delivery service ‘yung ating mga jeepneys kasi nga hindi pupuwedeng sakyan kasi hindi puwede ang social distancing,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online briefing.

(Earlier, I was with Secretary Tugade, they have plans on utilizing jeepneys as delivery service because these are not allowed to be used for passengers due to lack of physical distancing.)

Roque has previously said that allowing traditional jeepney’s deployment on the roads remains out of the question, and pointed to the possibility of hiring jeepney drivers as COVID-19 contact tracers.

“‘Yung jeepney modernization ay siguro po pabibilisan para ‘yung mga mawawalan ng trabaho sa traditional jeepneys ay pupuwedeng mag-shift to ‘yung mga modern jeepneys,” Roque also said during the online press briefing.

(The jeepney modernization should be fast-tracked so that drivers of traditional jeepneys who would lose their livelihoods may shift to driving modern jeepneys.)

On the DOTr’s second phase of public transport revival, public utility buses (PUBs), modern public utility vehicles (PUVs), and UV Express will be permitted to operate with limited passenger capacity in areas under GCQ.

Early this month, some jeepney drivers held protests against the government’s policy to only let new jeepneys resume operations, saying they have been deprived of their source of livelihood for over two months due to lockdown measures.

KGA