By Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senator Grace Poe has proposed to the government to hire compliant, traditional jeepneys to augment the number of public utility vehicles (PUVs) that will serve commuters during the general community quarantine (GCQ). Senator Grace Poe
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Poe said the government should all the more provide transportation options given the limited capacities of PUVs in observing physical distancing measures. The first day of the GCQ in Metro Manila had workers struggling to get to their workplaces as transportation authorities maintained that the resumption of mass transportation should be gradual while allowing private vehicles for essential travels. "Malinaw na walang masakyan ang maraming pasaherong bukod sa nagtitiis sa kakahintay sa mahabang pila ay hindi rin siguradong makakarating sa kanilang pupuntahan (It was clear that there was a lack of transportation for numerous passengers who were left to wait in line for hours but uncertain that they will get to their destinations)," Poe said on Wednesday. During their deliberations on the "Bayanihan to Recover as One" bill on Tuesday, Poe suggested that an amount be allocated for hiring additional shuttles. She noted that since the shift from modified enhanced community quarantine to GCQ last June 1, only 90 public utility buses plied along EDSA, as against the 3,500 buses running before the quarantine. Authorities had earlier said these buses should carry not more than 25 passengers, including the drivers. But with only 25 passengers per trip per unit, only about 20,000 passengers can be accommodated instead of the 250,000 before the lockdown, Poe said. "A line on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) spending should state that it will prioritize hiring of additional shuttles during our transition process into an eased quarantine,” Poe proposed. Jeepneys that have already complied with physical distancing measures and other health and safety protocols should be hired by the government to shuttle passengers during the GCQ. She also sought to ensure that the DOTr maintains the status quo and there will be "no phaseout" of old PUVs to prevent mass displacement. Subsidy Poe also proposed the grant of subsidies to PUV drivers who will be allowed to operate. "This will enable PUV drivers to comply with social distancing measures without sacrificing financial viability," she said. She also reiterated her appeal for the prompt release of promised subsidies to PUV drivers and operators, who were left without income during the lockdown. She pushed for the inclusion of the department’s mandate to guarantee a masterlist of qualified transport service workers to implement the wage subsidies and cash-for-work program, and coordinate the accelerated distribution of the first and second rounds of subsidy under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Poe also pitched for the restructuring of existing loans and the provision of credit lines and interest-free loans to critically- impacted transport service providers.