The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is ready to increase public transportation capacity to 75 percent from the current 50 percent, as pitched by the government's chief economist.
In a statement, the DOTr said they are prepared to increase the passenger capacity in the event the National Economic and Development Authority's (NEDA) proposal gets approved by the pandemic task force.
"We leave the NEDA proposal to the evaluation of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases), being the primary agency tasked to formulate plans and rules during this period of the pandemic as the country moves forward towards the new normal," it said.
"Rest assured that the DOTr will implement whatever decision the IATF and the Cabinet may arrive at regarding the NEDA's proposal while making sure that strict health protocols are observed and enforced in public transport vehicles and facilities to prevent the transmission of COVID-19," the agency assured.
In a meeting with President Duterte on Monday, Feb. 15, NEDA Socioeconomic Planning Acting Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua recommended to ease several restrictions such as placing the country under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ)--the most relaxed quarantine level-- in a bid to revive the economy amid the pandemic.
Among the proposals Chua made was to further expand public transportation capacity from 50 percent to 75 percent. This would allow more people to go to work physically, with proper health protocols still in place.
To complement a more open public transport, Chua recommended the promotion of “active transport support” such as the establishment of bike lanes. He noted that many Filipinos have shifted to biking whenever they go out to buy essential goods and/or go to work.
Chua has asked for the President's approval of such recommendations after citing a rise in hunger incidence, as well as income loss reaching a staggering P1.04 trillion arising from the strict lockdown since March 2020.