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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider DOTr expands free shuttle service to medical front liners

DOTr expands free shuttle service to medical front liners

Published Mar 19, 2020 12:00 am
  By Ariel Fernandez The Department of Transportation (DOTr) continues to roll out its free bus service to serve front line hospital personnel affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine. On its second day of implementation, the DOTr added more routes to cover larger areas. This is in line with the instruction of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade to the DOTr’s road sector agencies to ferry health workers who are at the front line of the country’s fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a meeting on Wednesday, transport officials have assured that the free bus service will also be made available to transport other hospital personnel aside from doctors and nurses. From only three (3) routes during the initial deployment on Wednesday, the free bus service will now serve health workers in nine (9) routes: North West Area Route 1 • Malanday* • Valenzuela City General Hospital • Monumento / MCU* • Tondo General Hospital • Metropolitan Medical Center • San Lazaro Hospital • Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center • University of Santo Tomas Hospital • Chinese General Hospital • United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)* *Pick-up/transfer points North West Area Route 2 • Valenzuela Gateway Complex* • Quezon City General Hospital • Balintawak* • Philippine Orthopedic • United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)* *Pick-up/transfer points North East Area Route 3 • Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial (Caloocan) • SM Fairview* • Diliman Doctors Hospital • Veterans Memorial Medical Center • Lung Center of the Philippines • National Kidney and Transplant Institute • Philippine Heart Center • East Avenue Medical Center • Philippine Children’s Hospital • Centris Station (EDSA/Q.Ave)* *Pick-up/transfer points East Area Route 4 • SM City Masinag* • Marikina Valley Medical Center • Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center • BFCT East Metro Transport Terminal* • Quirino Memorial Medical Center • Araneta Center Bus Terminal • Robinsons Galleria* • The Medical City – Ortigas *Pick-up/transfer points East Area Route 5 • Ortigas Hospital and Healthcare (Cainta)* • SM City East Ortigas • Pasig City General Hospital • The Medical City Ortigas • Robinsons Galleria* • VRP Medical Center • St. Luke’s Medical Center* • Rizal Medical Center *Pick-up/transfer points Central Area Route 6 • Centris Station (EDSA/Q.Ave)* • Providence Hospital • Capitol Medical Center • United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)* • UERM Memorial Medical Center • National Children’s Hospital • De Los Santos Medical Center • St. Luke's Medical Center – E. Rodriguez • MRT-3 Cubao Station* *Pick-up/transfer points Central Area Route 7 • The Medical City – Ortigas* • Robinsons Galleria* • Cardinal Santos Medical Center • Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital • Santa Ana Hospital • Makati Medical Center* *Pick-up/transfer points South East Area Route 8 • RITM* • Asian Hospital and Medical Center • Muntinlupa City Hospital • South Station • SLEX Sucat Exit* • Bicutan Exit • Makati Medical Center* • St. Luke's Medical Center – BGC* *Pick-up/transfer points South West Area Route 9 • Vista Mall, Daang Hari* • Perpetual Help Medical Center (Las Pinas) • Las Piñas General Hospital • Baclaran Market* • San Juan de Dios Educational Medical Center • Pasay City General Hospital • Adventist Medical Center • Makati Medical Center* • Philippine General Hospital • Manila Doctors Hospital • United Doctors Medical Center (Welcome Rotonda)* *Pick-up/transfer points The routes are still subject to change depending on the data and requests coming from the Department of Health (DOH). Buses will transport passengers at 5:00AM, 1:00PM, 5:00PM, and 9:00PM to the specified routes, and vice versa. The bus service will likewise comply with the DOH's containment protocols such as the observance of social distancing, body temperature checks, and regular disinfection of vehicles. Drivers and health workers will also be given food and water. More than 70 buses have been committed to transport health workers for free along the specified routes. The same bus service scheme is also being advised to be replicated in Luzon while the enhanced community quarantine is being enforced. The free bus service is implemented in cooperation and close coordination with the Office of the President, Supreme Court, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT), and private bus companies such as HM Transit, San Agustin, MetroExpress, RRCG, Precious Grace, Ceres, Jac Liner, St. Rose, Pamana, Jasper Jean, Pascual, Hi-Star, Ube Express, and automotive company Foton.
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