DOTr: Mystery passengers will be deployed to ensure 'no vax, no ride' compliance

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is deploying “mystery passengers” in public utility vehicles (PUVs) to ensure the public road transport sector’s compliance with its “no vaccination, no ride” policy while Metro Manila is under under Alert Level 3 or higher, which will be fully enforced on Monday, January 17.

“Magde-deploy rin po tayo ng mystery passengers upang masigurado na masusunod itong ating polisiya kahit hindi nakauniporme ang ating mga enforcer,” DOTr Road Transport Sector Assistant Mark Steven Pastor said at a virtual press briefing on Friday.

(We will be deploying mystery passengers to ensure compliance with the policy even if there are no uniformed enforcers around.)

Under the DOTr’s Department Order No. 2022-001, issued on January 11, 2022, access to public transportation is limited only to fully vaccinated individuals.

Vaccination status can be proven by either physical or digital copies of local government unit-issued vaccine card, Department of Health-issued vaccine certification, or any Inter-Agency Task Force-prescribed document with valid government-issued ID with picture and address.

The Transportation department cited the Metro Manila Council Resolution No. 22-011, series of 2022, which prohibits the unvaccinated from domestic travel via public transportation by land, sea, and air as legal basis for its “no vaccination, no ride” policy.

As to how the policy enforcement, Pastor said that enforcers of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will be deployed at “strategic locations” to ensure compliance of both public transport workers and passengers.

On the deployment of mystery passengers, the Transportation official said that the cost of their fare will come from government funds but will be shouldered by officials of the DOTr.

“Bakit sila ay dapat ma-deploy? Upang masiguro natin na kahit walang nakauniporme na enforcer ay sumusunod po ang drivers dito sa ating polisiya at dito natin makikita kung paano natin mai-implement itong program on a daily basis without them knowing really that there’s an enforcer or government official, enforcer dito sa public utility vehicles,” Pastor said.

[We are doing this to ensure that even if uniformed enforcers are not around the policy is complied with on a daily basis.] 

Exempted from the “no vaccination, no ride” policy are the following:

Persons with medical conditions that prevent their full COVID-19 vaccination as shown by a duly-signed medical certificate with the name and contact details of their doctor.

Persons who will buy essential goods and services, such as but not limited to food, water, medicine, medical devices, public utilities, energy, work, and medical and dental necessities, as shown by a duly issued barangay health pass or other proof to justify travel.

At the same press briefing, Transportation Undersecretary for Administrative Service Artemio Tuazon said that the “no vaccination, no ride” in public transportation policy will be effectively implemented in NCR since 91% of the population are vaccinated.

“IIlan na lang ang hindi nagpapabakuna kaya pwede i-implement dito” (Only a few are unvaccinated, that's why it can be implemented here), Tuazon said. —LBG, GMA News