TRANSPORTATION Secretary Arthur Tugade asked transport operators and drivers to take the disinfection of their respective public utility vehicles (PUVs) seriously.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) chief said this is an important factor to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“The proper disinfection of public transport vehicles is a key factor in keeping our commuters safe from Covid-19. We should not be hasty in the cleaning and disinfection of our vehicles. The riding public trusts us that the jeepneys, the buses and the other public transport vehicles that we operate are safe, and virus-free,” Tugade said.

As frontline service providers, operators and drivers of public transport vehicles should always be aware of the major role they play in containing the spread of Covid-19, according to the official.

“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,” he said.

Tugade at the same time appealed to the riding public to actively participate in containing the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19.

He said passengers can do their share by complying to health protocols implemented in public transport and reporting to authorities any breach of health protocols such as fellow passengers who will talk or eat inside vehicles, improperly wear masks and face shields and not follow the strict physical distancing rule.

“Let us do our share by reporting immediately to the proper authorities any breach of health protocols that are committed inside public transport vehicles by your fellow passengers. We are all in this fight together,” Tugade said.

Commuters who 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 Inter-Agency Council for Traffic, rail transport operators, and air and maritime sector authorities.