(Eagle News) — The Department of Transportation on Monday, March 15, urged public transport operators and drivers to take the disinfection of their vehicles seriously.
Transportation Secretary Art Tugade made the statement after a recent viral video uploaded on Facebook showed two Metro Rail Transit-3 cleaning personnel hastily disinfecting one of the line’s trains.
The personnel are facing disciplinary action.
Tugade also made the statement amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, prompting some local government units to implement localized lockdowns and Metro Manila to impose a common curfew starting today.
Over the weekend, the government also confirmed the country’s first Brazil variant case and additional UK and South African variant cases, and mutations of possible concern.
“As operators and drivers of public transport vehicles, you do not only bring passengers from their homes to their workplaces and back. You are also given the responsibility to make sure that they are healthy and safe when they arrive at their destinations,” Tugade said.
He also urged the public to actively participate in containing the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
He said passengers should strictly comply with health protocols and report to authorities any breach in health protocols such talking or eating inside vehicles, improper wearing of masks and face shields and not following the strict physical distancing rule.
Commuters who may have witnessed any violation of health protocols inside public transport vehicles are advised to immediately contact the Land Transportation Office-Philippines, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the InterAgency Council for Traffic – IACT, rail transport operators, and air and maritime sector authorities.
“We are all in this fight together,” Tugade said.
