DOTr: NCR minors still prohibited from riding PUVs amid increased capacity

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Saturday said that minors in Metro Manila are still not allowed to ride public transport despite looser quarantine restrictions and the increase in public utility vehicles’ (PUVs') capacity.

Interviewed on PTV’s Laging Handa, DOTr Assistant Secretary and Inter-Agency Council on Traffic chief Manuel Gonzales said that road sector authorities still bar minors from riding public transport amid the absence of guidelines allowing them to do so.

“For the past two days, pinagbabawal po ng IACT, ng mga enforcers natin, na magdala ng bata, na magsakay kasi po wala pa namang guidelines dito  ang ating pamunan sa transportasyon,” Gonzales said.

(For the past two days, the I-ACT, our enforcers, prohibit minors from boarding public transport because there are as yet no guidelines from transportation authorities.)

The government increased the capacity for all modes of public transport in the National Capital Region (NCR) from 50% to 70% beginning November 4, provided that minimum public health standards are observed and standing passengers are still not allowed.

The capital region also shifted to a more relaxed Alert Level 2, during which children are allowed to go out of their residences as long as they are accompanied by an adult.

However, Gonzales said, "So ‘yung mga senior o 'yung mga APOR (authorized persons outside of residence) na may dalang bata, hindi pa po natin pinasasakay dahil bawal pa nga po 'yung mga bata for the past two days na ini-implement natin itong 70%.”

(Those APORs who are with children are barred from boarding public transport because it’s still not allowed for the past two days we are implementing the 70% seating capacity.)

The DOTr official said that the I-ACT had apprehended over 200 PUVs that violated the 70% limit in passenger capacity on the first day of implementation of the increase in PUV capacity.

“Sa unang araw naman, pinagsasabihan sila at binibigyan ng warning na di dapat gawin ang overloading,” Gonzales said.

(On the first day, we just warned them that they should not overload their vehicles.)

— DVM, GMA News