DISTANCE BETWEEN US The move by transportation officials to reduce the 1-meter rule for physical distancing on public vehicles has raised fears of more coronavirus infections and deaths. INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to think of better ways to allay public transport woes because about 1.7 million commuting workers remain stranded despite eased social distancing rules in public utility vehicles (PUVs).
“Ang estimate ko ng stranded workers is something like 1.7 million. This is even after yesterday’s increase in jeeps and reduction dito sa 1 meter to .75 meters,” Quimbo, an economist, said during Tuesday’s House deliberations on DOTr’s budget for next year.
“Sa tingin ko kailangan pa natin pag-isipan ano pa ang pwede nating gawin. Ang sa tingin kong simpleng solusyon para tugunan ang shortage is increase na lang natin ang number ng namamasada,” she added.
Starting Monday, September 14, the one-meter distance between passengers inside a PUV has been reduced from 1 meter to 0.75 meter.
This distance will be further adjusted after two weeks, or on September 28, to 0.5 meter and then to 0.3 meter on October 12 to allow optimization of ridership.
READ: DOTr eases distancing rule in public transport
Under the gradual reduction of physical distancing among public transport passengers, public utility buses with four columns of seats could accommodate two more passengers while those with five columns of seats could add two to eight more passengers, DOTr Assistant Secretary Steve Pastor explained.
Modern jeepneys, meanwhile, could accommodate two more passengers, and one more passenger for traditional jeepneys and UV Express vehicles, he added.
With this, an additional 1,647,930 passengers will be accommodated, he also noted.
Currently, a total of 77,609 public transportation units are plying Metro Manila roads, according to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chief Martin Delgra.