A screengrab of the viral video taken by passenger Kim Justine Obrado showed the MRT-3 cleaning staff playfully disinfecting the train coaches after passengers have disembarked.
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday urged operators and drivers of public transport vehicles (PUVs) to be more circumspect in disinfecting their vehicles as part of health protocols against COVID-19.
“The proper disinfection of public transport vehicles is a key factor in keeping our commuters safe from COVID-19. We should not be hasty in the cleaning and disinfection of our vehicles. The riding public trusts us that the jeepneys, the buses and the other public transport vehicles that we operate are safe, and virus-free,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement.
Tugade made the appeal after a recent viral video uploaded on Facebook showed how two cleaning staff of the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) appeared to haphazardly disinfecting one of the line’s train coaches.
He noted that the MRT-3 management immediately implemented measures to prevent a repeat of the incident, and that the staffers involved are now facing disciplinary action.
Tugade also reminded operators and drivers of public transport vehicles to be aware of the major role they play in containing the spread of COVID-19.
“As operators and drivers of public transport vehicles, you do not only bring passengers from their homes to their workplaces and back. You are also given the responsibility to make sure that they are healthy and safe when they arrive at their destinations,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tugade said commuters may also report to authorities any breach of health protocols in public transport, such as fellow passengers talking or eating inside vehicles, improperly wearing masks and face shields and not following the strict physical distancing rule.
He said commuters may report these violations to the Land Transportation Office, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic, rail transport operators, and air and maritime sector authorities.
“Let us do our share by reporting immediately to the proper authorities any breach of health protocols that are committed inside public transport vehicles by your fellow passengers. We are all in this fight together,” Tugade added. — Liezelle Soriano Roy, Trainee