DOTr wants 100% sitting capacity in PUVs in Metro Manila

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is inclined to suggest 100% passenger capacity in public utility vehicles in Metro Manila to the Inter-Agency Task for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), an official said Monday.

At a Senate budget hearing, Senator Imee Marcos asked the DOTr’s policy direction pertaining to the increase of passenger capacity in PUVs as drivers are affected by the recent spike in oil prices.

“Ayaw ninyong magtaas ng fare… pero wala namang discount sa gasolina…nu’ng humiling sila na dagdagan ang pasahero, wala pa ring aksyon ang DOTr,” Marcos said.

(You opposed the fake hike but there are no fuel discounts given to them. The DOTr also did not take action when they asked for the increase in number of passengers.)

DOTr Assistant Secretary Mark Steven Pastor told the senators that the agency is seeking the IATF’s approval to allow PUVs to increase their carrying capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Last Friday po nag-submit po kami sa IATF ng formal position paper na i-increase po ang sitting capacity natin from 50%, para po sa 'min kung masusunod po ang kagawaran puwede po itong maging 100%, based on the medical literature that is available,” Pastor said.

(Last Friday, we submitted to the IATF our formal position paper to increase the sitting capacity from 50%. If the DOTr could have its way, we will allow 100%, and that is based on the medical literature that is available.)

“We are ready to defend its position sa IATF po this coming Thursday kasi alam naman po natin na meron pa rin tayong dapat idulog sa IATF because this is not only a matter of public transportation but also a matter of public health po,” he added.

(We are ready to defend our position to the IATF this coming Thursday because we know that we need to propose this to the IATF as this is not only a matter of public transportation but also a matter of public health.)

However, Senator Nancy Binay said the DOTr proposal is already “passe” as PUVs are already carrying more passengers than the allowed 50% capacity.

“The other week nagpunta tayo sa Antipolo. ‘Yung mga kasabay ho naming jeep sa daan, more than 50% na yung binabiyahe nila [The other week we went to Antipolo and we observed that some jeepneys are carrying more than the 50% allowed capacity],” she said.

“So yung hinihingi niyong permission sa IATF, kumbaga passe na yan kasi on the ground, punuan na yung mga jeep natin ngayon [So what you were asking from the IATF is already passe because on the ground, jeepneys are carrying more than the allowed capacity],” she added.

Furthermore, the Transportation official mentioned that the agency opposes fare hike, saying the commuting public should not shoulder the increases in oil product cost.

“Ayaw po namin dito sa kagawaran na tumaas ang pamasahe dahil para po sa amin wala pong kinalaman ang commuting public sa pagtaas ng krudo kung kaya’t ayaw po namin na sila ang pumasan nito,” Pastor said.

(We, in our department, don't want to increase the fare because for us, the commuting public is not a factor why the oil prices have increased. That is why we don't want them to shoulder the cost.)

Last week, Pastor already announced that the DOTr is pushing for an increase in passenger capacity of PUVs following the downgrading of Metro Manila's COVID-19 alert level from 4 to 3.

Under Alert Level 3, more businesses are allowed to operate. It will be imposed over Metro Manila from October 16 to 31 unless earlier lifted or extended by the government.  —KBK, GMA News