LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III. (Screenshot of video from RTVM)
MANILA – There will be more public transportation routes and public utility vehicles (PUV) available in Metro Manila weekly once the region shifts to general community quarantine (GCQ), an official of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Tuesday.
In a virtual press briefing, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said they will open up more routes for public utility jeepneys (PUJs), UV Express, and buses weekly beginning on Aug. 19, the start of the renewed GCQ in Metro Manila.
“The LTFRB will be opening up additional routes for PUV, UV, and buses. We have done so on the commitment that we're going to open up every week,” Delgra said.
This would continue, he said, until “there are enough routes running on the roads.”
On top of the routes and PUVs already available from before Metro Manila’s shift to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in early August, LTFRB Technical Division Head Joel Bolano said there will be new routes for both UV Express and traditional PUJs.
“After natin mag-lift (After the lifting of the MECQ) tomorrow, we'll be having additional four routes with an equivalent of 641 units, to a total of 1,621 units for UV Express,” Bolano said.
For traditional PUJs, he said there will be 34 new routes with 2,203 units plus another 26 new routes with 2,295 units on Aug. 20, bringing the total available traditional PUJ routes in Metro Manila to 126 routes with 12,443 units.
Meanwhile, buses will remain at 31 routes with 3,662 units, Point-to-Point buses at 33 routes with 363 units, and modern PUJs at 45 routes with 716 units.
Taxis will also resume operations with 20,493 units, while transport network vehicle services (TNVS) will have a total of 23,776 units.
No special permit necessary
Bolano reiterated that operators and drivers of PUVs included in its approved list are not required to secure a special permit aside from other necessary documents such as an existing Certificate of Public Convenience or Provisional Authority.
However, he said they are required to download a QR code from the LTFRB website that must be posted in their PUVs.
“The requirement of the LTFRB is just to download the QR code, instead of issuing a special permit, we will just require them to download through the website of the LTFRB,” Bolano said.
Face shields required
Delgra reminded commuters that face shields are now required in all forms of public transport in the country, in addition to wearing face masks, physical distancing, and other health and safety protocols mandated by the government.
He said PUV operators must also be ready to have their PUVs regularly disinfected and their drivers prepared for the new normal. (PNA)
