Delgra clarifies: Plastic barriers inside jeepneys not official DOTr, LTO policy
MANILA, Philippines — There is no official policy from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) that requires traditional jeepneys to install plastic barriers inside the vehicles to separate passengers, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said Saturday.
“Patungkol naman din po sa plastic barrier that separates the passengers, I would just like to clarify na yung policy na binaba po ng DOTr at saka sa LTFRB patungkol sa plastic barriers, this is actually in relation to the plastic barrier that separates the driver from the passenger,” Delgra said in a DOTr press conference.
(In regards to plastic barriers that separates the passengers, I would just like to clarify that the policy handed down by the DOTr and LTFRB was actually in relation to the plastic barrier that separates the driver from the passenger.
“So wala pong official statement yung LTFRB, DOTr or even the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) regarding doon sa plastic barriers between passengers,” he added.
(So we don’t have an official statement from the LTFRB, DOTr or even from the IATF on placing plastic barriers between passengers.)
Delgra, however, did not discourage jeepney drivers if they have already placed plastic barriers in between passengers, from removing them.
“Kung nakakatulong, edi itutuloy (If it helps, then they should continue doing it),” he said.
“Pero hindi po polisya ng LTFRB o DOTr yung plastic barrier na itinalaga in between passengers,” he reiterated.
(But it’s not the LTFRB or DOTr’s policy to place plastic barriers to separate the passengers.)
The DOTr previously said that it would start easing restrictions in public transportation in a bid to revive the Philippine economy which is now in its worst recession.
The transport department added that it wants to reduce the distance between passengers inside public utility vehicles to 0.75 meters.
