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TO ENSURE that the operation of public transportation is not hampered as the country slowly relaxes restrictions to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the Inter-Institutional Working Group (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has adopted the Public Utility Vehicle (USP) contracting scheme.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) made the announcement on Monday, September 14, 2020.
According to an IATF resolution of September 7, the contracting of services is designed to subsidize public transport operations, incentivize PUV operators to return and serve travelers, and restore the livelihood of displaced transport workers, among others.
In the DOTr Facebook post, Undersecretary for Transportation and Road Infrastructure Steve Pastor said the proposed measure was developed in response to financial constraints that USP operators and drivers have experienced due to health and sanitary protocols implemented in public transport.
Pastor said that due to the limitations imposed, the operators and drivers “may not be able to maintain their operations.”
He said this could lead to inconsistent travel trips, causing travelers to compete for rides, while drivers and operators ignore passenger capacity in exchange for more revenue.
“Agencies interested in the transportation sector insist that safety should not be given up as we push for economic recovery and mobility of services. Therefore, we are promoting the use of the contracting of services, since they would allow the efficiency of trips and the reduction of transmission, ”he said.
In the proposed scheme, the government will pay the operators and drivers of public transport units based on the kilometers traveled by vehicles and specific performance indicators.
To ensure safety, Public Service Jeepneys (PUJ) and Public Service Buses (PUB) must follow 50 percent passenger capacity and other safety and health protocols, such as the use of masks and face shields.
PUJs and PUBs must also operate within a set of working hours. A backup unit must be provided in the event of vehicle breakdown.
Hired drivers and operators must also hold a professional driver’s license and must drive a service unit confirmed by an operator.
Hired drivers must also pass the Office of Ground Transportation fitness standards and must not have been involved in any traffic accident incidents in the past two years.
The director of the Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Eduardo Montealto, said the LTFRB has yet to determine how to pay drivers and operators.
He said the guidelines will be sent to regional offices in the form of memorandum circulars.
SunStar Cebu tried to get reaction from the Piston transport group, without success. (JJL)
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