A transport group leader has slammed the memorandum released in Cebu requiring public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and conductors there to wear personal air purifiers in a supposed bid to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Signed by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, the memorandum mandated PUV drivers and conductors "to wear personal air purifiers at all times during their trip" on top of the face mask and face shield requirement and other health and safety protocols in public transport.
Mody Floranda, national president of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) said the personal air purifier requirement is only an additional expense to PUV drivers and operators who have long been struggling due to the pandemic.
"Ang mga air purifier po ay nagkakahalaga ng at least P1,000 ang isa. Dagdag pahirap pa ito sa mga driver at operator (Personal air purifiers cost at least P1,000 each. This only adds to the burden of drivers and operators)," Floranda said in an online press briefing on Monday, Aug. 16.
Instead of mandating PUV drivers and operators to wear personal air purifiers, Floranda called for "serious" vaccination and mass testing programs for workers in the transport industry.
"Ang kailangan po natin ay seryosong bakuna at seryosong mass testing para sa lahat. Hindi lang ssa mga driver at operator kundi para sa lahat ng mamamayan (What we need is a serious vaccination drive and serious mass testing for everyone. Not just for drivers and operators but for everyone)," he explained.
Floranda added that most workers in the transport sector, especially drivers and small-time operators, are still waiting for the promised government subsidy since the beginning of the pandemic.
Livelihood in the transport sector took a nosedive after the government suspended all forms of public transport during the first lockdown in mid-March last year. This left thousands of PUV drivers and operators without jobs, turning them into beggars on the streets and roads they used to "rule" over.
During the same briefing, Floranda also called on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to release the aid or "ayuda" intended for drivers and operators after state auditors flagged the agency for using only 1 percent of the P5.58 billion funds allocated for transport workers amid the pandemic.