As all modes of public transport have been suspended under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), the Department of Transportation (DOTr) reminded its free ride program for health workers remains in effect.
According to the DOTr, it will continue to dispatch bus units and PUVs participating in its free ride service which operates in two shifts -- from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Department said that frontline medical workers can avail of the free ride program at the following:
Route 1: Meralco (Malanday) to United Doctors Medical Center
Route 2: Valenzuela Gateway Complex to United Doctors Medical Center
Route 3: SM City San Jose Del Monte to Centris
Route 4: SM Masinag to The Medical City Ortigas
Route 5: Ortigas Hospital and Healthcare Center to Rizal Medical Center
Route 6: MRT 3 Cubao to Philippine General Hospital via MRT 3 Centris Station
Route 7: Pasig City General Hospital to Makati Medical Center
Route 7a: Medical City Ortigas to VRP Medical Center
Route 8: Starmall Alabang to St. Luke’s Medical Center - BGC
Route 9: Vista Mall Daang Hari to United Doctors Medical Center
Route 10: RITM to Starmall Alabang
Route 11: Starmall Alabang to Manila Doctors Hospital
Route 12: Dasmariñas Pala-Pala to Manila Doctor’s Hospital
Route 13: Starmall Alabang to Sea Oil Imus Daang Hari/Aguinaldo
Route 14: SM City Taytay to St. Luke’s Medical Center – QC
Route 15: SLEX Sucat Exit to Philippine General Hospital
Route 16: MRT-3 Cubao to Philippine General Hospital
Route 17: SM City San Jose Del Monte to SM Fairview/ Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center
Route 18: LRT-1 Monumento to Baclaran Market
Route 19: First Cabuyao Hospital and Medical Center to Starmall Alabang
Route 20: SM City Masinag to Lawton
The routes, the DOTr said, can also be viewed through Google Maps at https://bit.ly/DOTrFrontlineShuttleMap.
To ensure safety while in transit, the DOTr emphasized drivers and enforcers should wear full personal protective equipment gear in line with strict health protocols mandated by the Inter-Agency Task for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Prior to leaving the staging areas or pick up points, health workers and medical workers will be also asked to fill out contact tracing forms, as well as undergo temperature checks.
All bus units used in the program are being disinfected every loop, the DOTr added.
Metro Manila, Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan was placed again under MECQ beginning August 4 following pleas of medical frontliners to impose a stricter lockdown due to the continuous spike of COVID-19 cases in the country.
With this, all forms of public transport were banned to ferry commuters in areas under lockdown to further minimize the risk of virus transmission.