THE Davao City Transportation and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) warned drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) that they will be slapped with a P500 penalty if the number of passengers is more than the allowed capacity.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-Davao) Director Nonito Llanos III said in a recent interview that the region will still follow the 50-percent capacity limit set by the national government for areas outside the National Capital Region (NCR) and some parts of Luzon. In these areas, the allowable capacity is at 70 percent.
Llanos also said drivers who violate the physical distancing will also be fined P5,000 and possible revocation of license.
CTTMO Head Dionisio Abude said drivers must ensure physical distancing inside their vehicle because traffic enforcers will enforce the rule and will issue traffic tickets for violation.
This after Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio issued Executive Order (EO) 63 on Tuesday afternoon, November 2, lifting the mandatory use of barriers in motorcycles, jeepneys and other PUVs. This took effect immediately upon issuance of the EO.
Section 1 of EO 63 states that plastic barriers PUVs will no longer be required. However, drivers and operators must still implement the mandatory wearing of face masks and physical distancing inside their units. Section 3 states that barriers will only be "for voluntary use only."
“There is a need to ease and loosen restrictions following the decrease in the number of cases reported and the active vaccination rollout within the city,” Duterte-Carpio said in her EO.
The issuance of the EO also came after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced that it would no longer be requiring plastic barriers in PUVs, which served as a division for passengers to observe the mandatory physical distancing.
Abude said traffic enforcers are closely monitoring if the allowable capacity for PUVs is followed.
“Pahunongon gyud siya, kung sobra sa kapasidad, tiketan sila. Kay kung dili gud nimo tiketan magpadayon ang mga driver kay ok raman. Muagi man gyud sila og mga enforcer, muagi man gyud sila sa mga loading bay, mga yellow box, so makita gyud na more than sa capacity sa ilaha so matiketan sila ug kanunay sila matiketan luoy pud kaayo sila,” Abude said.
(They will be stopped, apprehended, and will be issued with tickets. If you will not give them tickets, they will continue to do the same thing. The enforcers will see them as they will pass through loading bays and the yellow box. Once they [traffic enforcers] see there is more than the required capacity, they will issue tickets and if they do so repeatedly, they are at disadvantage.)
He added that operators should also ensure that their drivers follow the passenger capacity.
Abude added that the PUV drivers should also discipline themselves.