Public transport suspended anew
Metro Manila and other nearby provinces will be grinding to a halt anew beginning today after President Rodrigo Duterte partly granted the appeal of the medical community to reimpose a stricter lockdown as the number of COVID-19 cases remains on a steady rise.
Following this development, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said public transportation will be suspended and transport services will remain limited in areas under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
In line with the existing quarantine guidelines set by the country’s COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force, operations of jeepneys, public utility buses, taxis, Transport Network Vehicle Service such as Grab, FX, UV Express, Point-to-Point buses and motorcycle taxis such as Angkas are suspended.
The managements of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) and Light Rail Transits 1 and 2 yesterday announced they will suspend operations on 4 August to comply with the MECQ guidelines.
The main train line will cease to operate starting Tuesday until 18 August or until the National Capital Region (NCR) is returned under the looser general community quarantine.
Health care workers and frontliners get free rides.
“Due to the reimposition of MECQ in Metro Manila, we are temporarily suspending the operations of MRT-3 starting 4 to 18 August until NCR is placed back under GCQ,” the MRT management said.
The Philippine National Railways — transporting passengers in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and the Bicol
Region — also halted its operation.
As for air travel, budget carriers AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, and Philippine Airlines have suspended flights during the duration of the MECQ.
Tricycles will also not be allowed, but with exceptions subject to guidelines of the Interior Department and respective local government units.
The DoTr said only shuttles dedicated to frontliners and other workers in permitted industries will be allowed to run under the service category.
Likewise, the use of private vehicles with only one person per household would be allowed to leave homes to buy necessities and necessary medical supplies.
Operations of the Pasig River Ferry Service also will be limited to medical frontliners and government employees during the MECQ period.
Free ferry rides for health workers and government employees who need to report for work will be available at the following stations: Pinagbuhatan, San Joaquin, Guadalupe, Valenzuela, Lawton and Escolta.
They just need to present valid identification cards to avail of the free rides from Monday to Saturday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.