During a budget hearing in the House of Representatives, officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) were questioned over the directive on easing physical distancing in mass transport, raising the reality that a huge chunk of displaced drivers are still waiting to get back on the road.
During the DOTr budget hearing before the House Committee on Appropriations, lawmakers raised the plight of jeepney drivers seeking to return to their routes and continue their livelihood.
They also brought up with commuters who are still stranded due to limited public utility vehicles, a day after the agency started to relax the one-meter distancing in public transport vehicles.
“There are still around 1.7 million stranded workers…nagde-debate pa ho tayo whether it is wise to reduce social distance protocol,” Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo told transportation officials. “Hayaan na lang natin ang health experts to debate on that.”
[There are still around 1.7 million stranded workers, and yet we are still debating whether it is wise to reduce social distance protocol. Let’s leave the health experts to debate on that.]
“Ang simpleng solusyon para tugunan [ang shortage] is to increase ang number ng namamasada (The simplest solution to address the shortage of vehicles is to increase the number of drivers),” Quimbo added.
Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite and Ang Probinsyano Partylist Rep. Ronnie Ong echoed similar sentiments.
According to Martin Delgra, chief of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, out of the 41,986 traditional jeepneys in Metro Manila, around 18,000 units have been deployed to date.
“Ongoing po yung pag-a-assess in so far as having to put them on the road,” he said. “Ang pagde-deploy po natin ay immediate, urgent, short term, in so far as the need for public transport is concerned.”
[Our assessment is still ongoing in so far as having to put them on the road. Our process of deployement is immediate, urgent, short term, in so far as the need for public transport is concerned.]
Transport Secretary Tugade however defended the decision and noted that it was made after research and actual consultations with medical experts, including those from the Philippine Medical Association.
“Ito ba ay kongkretong solusyon? Tugade stated. “Hindi ho. Marami pang dapat gawin (Is this a concrete solution? No. There’s still a lot to be done).”
“Health and safety is not prejudiced, provided that you use face masks, wash hands, no eating, no use of cellphones, no entry of asymptomatics and senior citizens,” he said.
The government previously maintained that distancing can be modified since face masks and face shields are worn, despite the advisory of the World Health Organization to keep it to at least one meter.
