The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Friday released a set of guidelines for the road transport sector in preparation for the implementation of general community quarantine in various areas.
The transport agency said that there will be two phases that will be executed once public transportation resumes next week.
From June 1 to 21 under phase one, the DOTr said that trains and bus augmentation, taxis, TNVS, shuttle services, point-to-point buses and bicycles will be allowed to operate with limited passenger capacity. Tricycles will also be allowed to operate but subject to the prior approval of the concerned local government unit.
However, provincial buses will not be allowed to enter Metro Manila.
As for the second phase from June 22 to 30, public utility buses, modern PUVs and UV Express will also be allowed to resume operations but with limited passenger capacity.
The DOTr said that a 1-meter social distance rule between passengers will be strictly enforced inside all PUVs and mass transport units to ensure limited passenger capacity in line with health protocols amid the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the DOTr is set to adopt a system on EDSA where dedicated lanes will be set for buses. Additionally, designated lanes for bicycles as well as pedestrian crossing and bus boarding areas will be included in the transformation of EDSA.
The DOTr is also promoting the use of non-motorized transport such as bicycles in a bid to maintain proper physical distancing and ensure efficient road space use.
Apart from that, the transport agency is also encouraging the use of shuttle services to prevent the students and employees from contracting the dreaded virus.
Meanwhile, the DOTr said that it will be implementing modernization initiatives for road-based transport to minimize physical contact or face-to-face interaction. It includes automatic fare collection system for cashless payment transactions, electronic toll collection, and GNSS/GPS. The agency said that it will also pursue and promote online transactions in licensing, registration and other documentary requirements.
