MANILA – More commuters can now access public transportation vehicles such as jeepneys and buses after members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet approved to ease physical distancing rules among passengers.
In Tuesday’s virtual press conference, Palace spokesperson Harry Roque said the government would allow an increased public transport capacity by imposing a “one-seat apart” policy.
According to Roque, the guidelines also call for:
* proper wearing of face masks and face shields;
* no talking and no eating inside the vehicle;
* adequate ventilation;
* frequent and proper disinfection; and
* no symptomatic passenger
The recommendations came from Duterte’s economic team, who claimed that limited public transport has been holding back economic recovery after months of lockdown due to the COVID-19 crisis.
“The measures will be effective once published in the Official Gazette. It no longer needs Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approval,” Roque said./PN
