ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. has prohibited the use of tricycles, pedicabs and motorcycles as public transport.
The goal, according to the governor, is to further limit the movement of people in line with the ongoing enhanced community quarantine to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In a memorandum, Defensor urged mayors and barangay captains to enforce the temporary prohibition.
Tricycles, pedicabs and motorcycles may only be used for private purposes such as going to the market or pharmacy, provided the user has secured a quarantine pass.
Defensor also said they may be used as service vehicles of workers exempted by his Executive Order No. 080 (enhanced community quarantine) such as healthcare workers, among others, but that there should be no other passengers.
The governor then reminded local government units to provide shuttle service to frontliners (people who continue working because their job is indispensable such as those of healthcare workers, staff of pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, bakeries, etc.) and people going to public markets.
On March 27, Defensor issued guidelines in the implementation of Executive Order No. 080. Among the guidelines were the following:
* there shall be a shuttle service stationed at the barangay exit point/s to transport quarantine pass holders to the poblacion (town center); schedule of the shuttle service shall be determined by the mayor
* there shall be a shuttle service stationed at the poblacion of municipalities for quarantine pass holders commuting on a daily basis to Iloilo City; the schedule of the shuttle service shall likewise be determined by the mayor.
Another guideline stated: “Public markets shall be open everyday, provided that the schedule of market days be suspended, and provided further that only clusters of barangays shall have access to the public markets (including the surrounding stalls/stores) on a given day.”
“The mayor shall determine the clustering of barangays and the schedule of access to the public market,” Defensor added./PN
