By Alexandria San Juan
More than 5,000 taxis and ride-hailing cars are set to resume their operations in Metro Manila on Monday (June 1) upon the transition of the region into general community quarantine (GCQ), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced.
(REUTERS / MANILA BULLETIN)
Based on LTFRB data, a total of 5,526 taxi and transport network vehicle service (TNVS) units have been approved by the Board to go back on the road.
Of the total permitted units, 3,501 are taxis while 2,025 are TNVS from various transport network companies (TNCs), the LTFRB explained.
"Kami po ay nagagalak na makakabalik na sa kani-kanilang mga trabaho ang ating mga taxi at TNVS drivers upang makapaglingkod sa ating mga commuters (We are delighted that our taxis and TNVS drivers will be back at their jobs to serve our commuters)," LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III said.
With this, Delgra reminded drivers and operators anew to strictly observe the protocols set by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in relation to the guidelines of the health authorities.
These include the mandatory wearing of a face mask and gloves, frequent cleaning and disinfecting of units, installing barriers made from non-permeable and transparent materials, compliance with the passenger seating capacity, and the availability of a "daily passenger manifest" or logbook containing information of passengers for contact tracing purposes.
Despite the limited passenger capacity to be imposed in all modes of public transportation, the DOTr and the LTFRB assured that there are no plans, for now, to charge higher fares in all public utility vehicles (PUVs), including the approved taxis and TNVS.
The LTFRB earlier issued Memorandum Circular 2020-018 which mandated the resumption of operation of taxis and TNVS in areas under GCQ while implementing cashless or digital payment options to further contain the spread of COVID-19.
According to the LTFRB, operators and drivers can view the complete list of approved taxis and TNVS units through this link.