Motorcycle ride-hailing app Angkas donated 1,000 motorcycle barriers to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and pledged to provide free rides for healthcare workers amid the suspension of public transportation.
Under the Free Motorcycle Ride Project for Medical Frontliners program, Angkas will deploy 1,000 riders who will ferry medical frontliners to and from their workplaces for free. To alleviate the transportation woes of healthcare workers, Angkas riders will be stationed near the following hospitals within the Metro:
- Philippine General Hospital
- San Lazaro Hospital
- Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital
- Ospital ng Maynila
- Ospital ng Sampaloc
- East Avenue Medical Center
- National Kidney and Transplant Institute
- Quezon City General Hospital
- Quirino Memorial Medical Center
- Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital
Meanwhile, healthcare workers who have their own motorcycles will be given wearable shields that Angkas designed and produced. The shield’s design was earlier approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF).
As part of its partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19 and Philippine National Police (PNP), Angkas also gave 1,000 motorcycle barriers to the PNP. These will be distributed to various police stations in Metro Manila, to be given to qualified riders.
“Labis kong pinasasalamatan ang Angkas sa inyong pakikiisa sa IATF at JTF COVID-19 Shield upang maghandog ng libreng sakay para sa ating medical frontliners at magbahagi din ng 1,000 motorcycle barriers. Sila (Angkas) ay gagamit po ng 1,000 riders para magbigay ng Libreng Hatid sa ating mga medical frontliners. It is my hope that more and more from the private sector will follow suit in reaching out, partnering with the government, helping us fix the gaps and find solutions to the public health crisis,” says DILG Sec. Eduardo Ano.
The free ride service from Angkas will last until the two-week duration of the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in Metro Manila.