DOTr wants to return public transportation back to 100% capacity

For health and safety reasons the pandemic has brought about severe cuts to the capacity of public transportation vehicles. That all might change as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced that it wants the existing 50 percent passenger capacity of these vehicles in Metro Manila to be brought back to 100 percent capacity. This announcement was done during the agency’s budget hearing with the Senate.

In line with this, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Road Transportation and Infrastructure, Steve Pastor stated that they are ready to defend their proposal to increase the seating capacity this week.

Last Friday po nag-submit po kami sa IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) ng formal position paper na i-increase po ang sitting capacity natin from 50 percent, para po sa amin kung masusunod po ang kagawaran pwede po itong maging 100 percent, based on the medical literature that is available.

Steve Pastor
DOTr Assistant Secretary for Road Transportation and Infrastructure

He continues by stating that the DOTr is ready to defend its position with the IATF on October 28, 2021. He further states that it is no longer only a matter of public transportation but also a matter of public health as well.

In an earlier briefing Pastor stated that the DOTr’s proposal to return the passenger capacity of public transportation to 100 percent was based on technical and medical studies done by the agency. He also stated that the DOTr will be considering the existing safety protocols in respective government agencies as well in its proposal.

As the country slowly moves forward from the pandemic, the Philippines is now considered at low risk for COVID-19. This was because of a two-week negative growth rate period at -48 percent and a moderate-risk daily attack rate at 5.89 cases per every 100,000 individuals according to the Department of Health.