GOVERNOR Eugenio Jose Lacson said the one-meter distance among passengers inside public transport vehicles should be maintained.

Lacson made the statement amid the recommendation of the Department of Transportation to reduce to 0.5 meters from one meter the distance among passengers inside public utility vehicles (PUVs) by September 28.

This distance will be further adjusted to 0.5 meter and then to 0.3 meter on October 12 in order to allow optimization of ridership, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

Lacson said the one-meter distance should be maintained because it is based on the health standards set by the World Health Organization on social distancing to avoid the infection of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

It is one way to avoid mass gatherings like what is being observed in churches to avoid Covid-19 transmission.

Lacson said he believes the recommendation of the DOTr will be overruled by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, the government’s lead panel in the battle against Covid-19.

Tugade, on the other hand, said commuters’ health and safety are “not prejudiced” in the new physical distancing policy so long as they follow other health protocols such as wearing face masks and face shields, frequent hand washing and avoiding unnecessary talking, eating and use of cellphones while aboard PUVs.