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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider DOTr ensures students' safe, sufficient transport

DOTr ensures students' safe, sufficient transport

Published Jul 15, 2022 12:46 pm

Inter-agency cooperation is vital to provide students ample supply of transportation while ensuring their safety from Covid-19, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista announced on Friday, July 15.

The transport chief met with concerned government agencies to ensure “accessible, affordable, comfortable, and safe travel experience” for students attending face-to-face classes in August.

"Indeed, there's a need for different agencies to meet and discuss problems and possible solutions, which we will encounter when face-to-face classes start in August,” Bautista stated after a discussion with Vice President Sara Duterte this week.


Already, the DOTr Road Sector has made several recommendations.


First is to improve the deployment of public utility vehicle (PUV) by mandating operators to follow service plans which has a peak hour deployment at 90 percent to 100 percent of PUVs authorized.

Second is to open additional routes as may be deemed necessary, including the reinstatement of pre-pandemic city bus routes, particularly routes not traversing EDSA. Fare review and evaluation of non-operational routes as well as launch of developmental routes should also be fast-tracked.

Third is offering of free rides or "Libreng Sakay" for students on rail lines and EDSA Busway.

Lastly, DOTr is extending the life span of school services that have reached 15-year maximum limit by December 2022 for another two years.

"We are also concerned with the students’ safety, not just transport supply," noted DOTr Undersecretary for Road and Transport Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor.

“We have sufficient transportation, provided that operators deploy 90 percent of their PUV units,” he added.

The Metro Manila Development Authority, for its part, will deploy 2,238 personnel along major roads and within high-density schools in Metro Manila with 581 traffic enforcers to be dispatched to 148 schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the resumption of classes.

A total of four MMDA buses and two military trucks are also deployed for free rides to assist the commuting public daily.

On the other hand, the Pasig River Service operated by the MMDA will also offer free rides for commuters from Mondays through Saturdays within its 13 stations.

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DOTR SECRETARY JAIME BAUTISTA TRANSPORT SUPPLY AUGUST 2022 DOTr
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