Palace rejects using tricycles amid Luzon quarantine
Published Mar 19, 2020 12:00 am
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Malacañang has thumbed down suggestions to allow tricycles to continue operating, saying social distancing is impossible in the three-wheeled vehicle.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles issued the statement as Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto appealed to the national government to reconsider the inclusion of tricycles in the transportation ban while Luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Nograles said the government Is concerned about allowing tricycles to operate because its limited space leaves no room for social distancing.
"Concerned talaga ang gobyerno dito sa paggamit ng tricycle dahil hindi namin lubos na makita o maintindihan paano mag-social distancing sa tricycle (The government is really concerned about the use of tricycles because we cannot see how social distancing is possible here)," he said.
According to Nograles, who is also the spokesman of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, local government units should find an alternative in order to serve the needs of their constituents.
"Kung ang concern po ng LGU ay ganyan, maaari naman pong gumawa ng mga initiatives 'yung LGU with regard to vehicles na hindi naman kailangan tricycle ang gamitin (If that is their concern, they can think of other ways instead of using tricycles)," he said.
"May means po ang LGU na gumamit ng other means of transportation. Mayroon po silang mga sariling sasakyan, o maaari po silang gumamit ng sasakyan ng iba, makiusap, or other means (LGUs has other means of transportation. They can use their own vehicles or ask someone to let them borrow theirs, or other means)," he added.
Nograles added that jeepneys are preferred over tricycles because of its size. Jeepney operations are likewise suspended due to the enhanced community quarantine.
"May jeep ka or may multicab ka or four-wheel vehicle, either sa iyo or makihiram ka sa constituents mo or something. ‘Yong ibang LGUs naman nagco-comply (If you have a jeepney, a multicab, or a four-wheeled vehicle, either it's yours or borrowed from your constituents or something. Other LGUs are complying)," he said.
"Let’s all stick to the common ground rules. Yan po ang pakiusap namin… Ginagawa po natin itong lahat para lahat pantay-pantay at lahat maproteksyunan (That's our appeal. We're doing this so we can protect everyone)," he added.
Sotto earlier said he would allow tricycles to continue operating in his city to ferry health workers, front liners, those seeking medical attention, and for emergencies.
However, Nograles explained that using tricycles might just spread the deadly disease.
"Health workers kamo ang tinutulungan natin, okay. Hindi po ba dangerous na ang health workers natin ay mahahawa po at maging carrier po at pagdating sa health institution ay sila ay carrier (You say you just want to help health workers? Isn't it more dangerous if they get infected and become the carrier of the disease and spread it in their workplace)?" he said.
Public transportation is banned in the entire Luzon until the enhanced community quarantine ends on April 13. The Office of the Vice President and the Department of Transportation have implemented point-to-point shuttles to ferry health workers and other front liners to their destinations.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ssqs2
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles (Photo from Karlo Nograles / Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles issued the statement as Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto appealed to the national government to reconsider the inclusion of tricycles in the transportation ban while Luzon is under an enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Nograles said the government Is concerned about allowing tricycles to operate because its limited space leaves no room for social distancing.
"Concerned talaga ang gobyerno dito sa paggamit ng tricycle dahil hindi namin lubos na makita o maintindihan paano mag-social distancing sa tricycle (The government is really concerned about the use of tricycles because we cannot see how social distancing is possible here)," he said.
According to Nograles, who is also the spokesman of the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, local government units should find an alternative in order to serve the needs of their constituents.
"Kung ang concern po ng LGU ay ganyan, maaari naman pong gumawa ng mga initiatives 'yung LGU with regard to vehicles na hindi naman kailangan tricycle ang gamitin (If that is their concern, they can think of other ways instead of using tricycles)," he said.
"May means po ang LGU na gumamit ng other means of transportation. Mayroon po silang mga sariling sasakyan, o maaari po silang gumamit ng sasakyan ng iba, makiusap, or other means (LGUs has other means of transportation. They can use their own vehicles or ask someone to let them borrow theirs, or other means)," he added.
Nograles added that jeepneys are preferred over tricycles because of its size. Jeepney operations are likewise suspended due to the enhanced community quarantine.
"May jeep ka or may multicab ka or four-wheel vehicle, either sa iyo or makihiram ka sa constituents mo or something. ‘Yong ibang LGUs naman nagco-comply (If you have a jeepney, a multicab, or a four-wheeled vehicle, either it's yours or borrowed from your constituents or something. Other LGUs are complying)," he said.
"Let’s all stick to the common ground rules. Yan po ang pakiusap namin… Ginagawa po natin itong lahat para lahat pantay-pantay at lahat maproteksyunan (That's our appeal. We're doing this so we can protect everyone)," he added.
Sotto earlier said he would allow tricycles to continue operating in his city to ferry health workers, front liners, those seeking medical attention, and for emergencies.
However, Nograles explained that using tricycles might just spread the deadly disease.
"Health workers kamo ang tinutulungan natin, okay. Hindi po ba dangerous na ang health workers natin ay mahahawa po at maging carrier po at pagdating sa health institution ay sila ay carrier (You say you just want to help health workers? Isn't it more dangerous if they get infected and become the carrier of the disease and spread it in their workplace)?" he said.
Public transportation is banned in the entire Luzon until the enhanced community quarantine ends on April 13. The Office of the Vice President and the Department of Transportation have implemented point-to-point shuttles to ferry health workers and other front liners to their destinations.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7ssqs2