Angkas riders to be trained as contact tracers

MANILA, Philippines — Aside from providing free rides to health care workers in Pasay, motorcycle taxi firm Angkas has also signed an agreement with the city government that will allow its drivers to be deployed as contact tracers.

Under the agreement — the first between a Metro Manila local government and Angkas — a number of riders would undergo training before their deployment as part of the city’s contact-tracing team.

Earlier, Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano and Angkas also signed an agreement on free motorcycle rides for Pasay health-care workers who need to get home or to work.

Deployed to hospitals

The Angkas drivers would be stationed at Pasay City General Hospital and the Philippine Air Force General Hospital.

“This service will help make [the health workers’] transport easier, especially as commuting has become [harder] during the [modified enhanced community quarantine],” Angkas chief transport advocate George Royeca said.

The two other Metro cities with similar agreements with the ride-hailing firm are Manila and Pasig.

In a statement, Rubiano said their partnership with Angkas would “greatly help their front-liners who [were] struggling to report for duty because of the lack of transportation.”

At the moment, Pasay City has declared 40 of its 210 barangays free of the new coronavirus disease.