DOTr to recommend increasing PUV capacity in Metro Manila to 100%
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation is set to recommend allowing 100% passenger capacity on public transportation, with pilot implementation in Metro Manila.
The proposal to increase passenger capacity in public transport is being forwarded to assist transport workers amid the coronavirus pandemic and the continued increase of fuel prices.
At the Senate Committee on Finance's hearing on the 2022 budget of the transportation department on Monday, Assistant Secretary Steve Pastor said the DOTr already submitted to the IATF its position paper on the increase in passenger capacity for public transport.
“The road sector has already submitted a formal position paper to increase the seating capacity from 50% which, for us, if the department is complied with, can be 100% based on medical literature that is available. At the same time, we are ready to defend our position to IATF this Thursday,” Pastor said.
Metro Manila is now under a more relaxed Alert Level 3 classification, allowing for more businesses to open. With more people going out, there is a greater demand for public transport options.
Pastor argued that augmenting capacity is "not only a matter of public transportation but also a matter of public health," pointing to studies suggesting that "a high vaccination rate prompts an increase in allowed PUV capacity."
READ: In ECQ 'bubble', checkpoints for commuter safety harm hard-up drivers
Arguments
The DOTr, in a statement sent to reporters Tuesday, pointed to a 2020 study by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information which said that "passengers in the high-risk zones (seats in the same row with an infected passenger and within three rows) had moderate but not significantly higher risk."
However, the same cohort study of 128 individuals who rode one of two buses also found that "those who rode a bus with air recirculation and with a patient with COVID-19 had an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with those who rode a different bus."
"Studies have shown that reliance on complete face mask use and partial hand sanitizer use were proven enough to contain three very modest COVID-19 waves while preserving normal bus services...Rigid safe distancing rules are an oversimplification based on outdated science and experiences of past viruses," the DOTr said.
The livelihoods of public transport drivers and operators were severely affected with passenger capacity in public transport maintained at 50%.
"Increasing passenger capacity will mean higher revenue for the public transport sector. This will be a welcome development considering the increase in expenses brought by increasing fuel prices," the DOTr said.
READ: Delayed service contracting program leaves many transport workers on sidelines
The department said that it also conducted its own rapid analysis of available data on COVID-19 cases and public transport capacity in 10 countries in the region and "found out that public transport capacity has no significant correlation with the number of COVID-19 cases."
The ten countries covered were the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia.
"Metro Manila is the ideal place to test the proposal considering that 81.4% of its population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, public utility jeepneys and buses operating in Metro Manila are well-ventilated," the DOTr said.
- Latest
- Trending
