Operators of railway transit and land transport, including public utility vehicles -- UV express units, taxis, buses, modern and traditional public utility jeepneys (PUJs) -- are ready to serve commuters today as Metro Manila shifts to the General Community Quarantine (GCQ).
The Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 is dispatching 16 Czech-built CKD train sets and two China-built Dalian train sets on a daily basis.
The first train will leave North Avenue and Taft Avenue at 5:30 a.m.
The last trip will be at 9:10 p.m. from North Avenue and 10:11 p.m. from Taft Avenue.
The Light Rail Transit (LRT)-1 is dispatching 24 train sets for the morning peak hours, 18 train sets for the off-peak hours, and 24 train sets during the afternoon peak hours on weekdays.
The LRT Line 2 will deploy 5 train sets daily.
The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is operating 10 train sets on a daily basis.
To complement the train services, which will be on limited capacity to conform to the physical distancing measure, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has authorized the operation of additional traditional PUJs and UV Express (UVE) vehicles.
For traditional PUJs, the LTFRB allowed the operation of additional 4,498 units in 60 routes.
This is on top of the 7,945 authorized units in 66 routes as of July 29, and thus brings the total number of authorized traditional PUJs to 12,443 in 126 routes.
The LTFRB authorized additional four routes for 641 units of UV Express.
This brings the total number of authorized UVEs in 51 Metro routes to 1,621. Public utility buses (PUBs) numbering 3,662 will help ferry commuters in 31 routes around Metro Manila. In addition, 716 modern jeepneys will operate in 45 routes.
This is on top of 364 units for Point-to-Point (P2P) buses in 33 routes, 20,493 taxis and 23,776 transport network vehicle service (TNVS) units plying the Metro today.
As quarantine eases, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will enforce strict health and safety protocols on passengers to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The agency imposes the “No face mask, no face shield, no ride” policy in all sectors of public transportation —road, railway, maritime and aviation. (With Alexandria San Juan)