DOTr ready to issue special permits for additional routes in quake-hit Davao

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Sunday said it is ready to issue special permits for public transportation in Davao to ensure the continuous availability in the area after the magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 earthquakes that struck the region on Friday.

According to DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez, latest reports indicate that most transport facilities in the Davao region are operational, but the agency is coordinating with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to assess the need for additional routes.

“During the earthquake, we made sure ‘yung Love Buses pwedeng mag out of route para madami tayong maisakay (that the Love Buses could operate out of route so we can seat more passgengers),” he said in an interview on GMA Super Radyo dzBB.

“If there’s a need for us to issue special permits in order not the paralyze the public transpo, gagawin po natin ‘yan (we will do that),” he added.

The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck offshore Manay, Davao Oriental on Friday morning, October 10, followed by the magnitude 6.8 offshore earthquake in the evening.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has reported over 1,000 aftershocks.

Lopez said that all airports and most ports in the area are operational, except for two in Mati that sustained damages. Facilities are currently prioritizing cargo for relief efforts. —RF, GMA Integrated News