Public transportation will be suspended anew in Metro Manila and other areas after President Duterte decided to revert the regions to a modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) as the confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country exceeded 100,000.
In a statement on Monday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said that public transportation is not allowed on areas placed under MECQ, while some transportation services will remain limited, in line with the existing guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID)
Rules for public transport
Based on the guidelines of the DOTr for public transport operations, only public shuttles will be allowed to transport frontline workers or those who will return to work in allowed industries under the MECQ.
This means that buses, jeepneys, taxis, ride-hailing services, as well as all railway systems such as PNR, LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 will not be allowed to operate and ferry commuters.
Tricycles are also not allowed, but with exceptions, subject to the guidelines set by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the respective local government units (LGUs).
Rules for private transport
For private modes of transportation, the DOTr said that company shuttles will be permitted to operate provided that they will only service half of its passenger capacity.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said that special permit is no longer needed but an authorization letter or a letter of intent from the company stating the route of the rented shuttle is required.
Meanwhile, personal vehicles owned by persons or workers in the permitted sectors will also be allowed with two persons per row only.
Individual use of other modes of mobility such as bicycle, motorcycle, or e-scooter will also be allowed under MECQ.
The DOTr also reminded the public that only authorized persons outside of residence (APOR) with proper ID will be allowed to go out and travel within city limits.
President Duterte approved in a late-night public address a Cabinet recommendation to again place Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan under MECQ from August 4 to 18 following pleas of medical frontliners to impose a stricter lockdown due to the surging cases of COVID-19 in the country.