MANILA, Philippines — Public transportation will not be allowed anew when Metro Manila and nearby provinces shift to modified enhanced community quarantine for two weeks beginning August 4, Tuesday, the Department of Transportation said.
In a speech aired late Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal and Bulacan will return to a stricter MECQ from August 4 to 18—heeding the calls of an overburdened health sector for a “timeout” as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases surged.
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From the time the announcement was made, the public was given a mere 24 hours to buy groceries and medicines, close their establishments anew and plan ahead.
“For areas under the MECQ, public transportation is not allowed, and some transportation services will remain limited,” DOTr said.
Those who will be hardest hit by the lack of public transport include medical frontliners, workers in sectors that are allowed to operate and the public transportation industry itself. Some jeepney drivers who were recently allowed to operate will be prohibited on the roads once again.
The following modes of public transportation will not be allowed in areas under MECQ:
- Buses
- Jeepneys
- Taxis
- TNVS
- Tricycles (but with exceptions, subject to the guidelines set by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and respective local government units
- Philippines National Railways, Light Rail Transit Line 1 and Line 2 and Metro Rail Transit Line 3
The only public transportation allowed will be public shuttles for frontliners and workers in industries allowed to operate under MECQ.
For private transport, the following will be permitted:
- Company shuttle with passenger capacity of 50% and a special permit from LTFRB for rented shuttles
- Personal vehicles owned by workers in permitted sectors with only two people per row
- Individual use of bicycle, motorcycle or e-scooter by people allowed to go out
— Report by Gaea Katreena Cabico; Infographic design by Enrico Alonzo