LTFRB-7: Operators to decide whether to continue to ply amid restrictions

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) has reiterated that public utility vehicles (PUVs) are still allowed to ply their routes in Metro Cebu even if the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu are under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

But LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said it will be up to the operators to decide if they would continue to ply existing routes with more restrictions now in place.

He said the agency did not reduce the number of units plying the routes and just leave the decision to the operators.

“The same number ra of public utility vehicles ang atong gihatagan og special permit, renewed tanan. Depende nalang na sa operator kon sa tan-aw niya wala’y pasahero, dili pa-biyahe-on. Kay gamay raman pod ang dili makabalik og open, mga restaurant ra nga in-closed, etc.,” said Montealto.

(The same number of public utility vehicles were given special permits, we renewed them all. It will now depend on the operator to decide that if there would only be few passengers then the operator could decide not to ply their routes. Because only a few establishments will not be allowed to open, restaurants with enclosed spaces, etc.)

For his part, LTFRB-7 Enforcement Head Francis Kaamiño, said they would be conducting random checkpoints and apprehensions to ensure that minimum health protocols would be strictly observed among PUVs.

Kaamiño said that drivers and conductors should make sure that they would be following the 75 percent capacity so as to avoid apprehension.

Montealto also reiterated that operators would be asked to pay a fine of P5,000 for the first offense when caught violating the protocols particularly social distancing, and wearing of face mask and face shield.

The regional director on Saturday, July 31, said that they continued to wait for the final quarantine classification of the island and that there might be limited number of PUVs allowed on the streets due to stricter restrictions.

Cebu Province was granted its appeal by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for a more relaxed community quarantine, downgrading it to general community quarantine with heightened restrictions.

However, the IATF has not yet responded to the appeal of the tri-cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.

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