| file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Starting this March 1, 2022, all public utility vehicles (PUVs) in Cebu province will be allowed to operate at full capacity.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced in a recent press interview that the Capitol decided to forego most of the restrictions being implemented in public transportation.
Aside from scrapping the seating capacity, Garcia also said the provincial government will now allow air-conditioned buses to return to the roads, and the wearing of air purifiers for drivers and conductors will now be optional.
“We will also allow the operation of aircon buses but still subject to regular disinfection and UV (ultraviolet) sterilization,” she added.
The governor met with bus operators and key officials from the Central Visayas offices of the Land Transportation Office (LTO-7) and Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) to discuss the state of the province’s public transportation now that the COVID-19 cases in the province continue to decline.
According to Garcia, bus operators continue to struggle to make ends meet due to existing regulations and other anti-COVID protocols mandated by the government. In addition, there’s a need for more PUVs on the road now that the province is gradually reopening its economy.
“(But) as the situation has evolved, so should we with the continuing drop of cases and less severe cases, we believe that this also calls for (sic) less stringent regulations,” she explained.
To recall, in 2021, the Capitol decided to cap the maximum capacity of PUVs up to 75 percent when the province was placed under a stricter quarantine classification.
The governor also ordered air-conditioned buses to improve their ventilation by opening their windows otherwise they will not be allowed to operate.
Cebu province, together with the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, shifted to a more relaxed Alert Level 2 last February 16.
/bmjo
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