Cebu City North Bus Terminal. | CDN Digital File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu Province has prohibited the use of extension seats and the standing of passengers inside public utility vehicles (PUVs).
This is part of the guidelines that Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has issued on February 28, 2022, through Executive Order (EO) No. 7, which refines the regulations for public transportation in the province.
She earlier announced that all PUVs can start accommodating 100 percent capacity of passengers by March 1, 2022. The entire Cebu island has been placed under Alert Level 2 until March 15, 2022.
“The Provincial Government of Cebu finds it prudent to revisit and revise existing protocols and guidelines regulating Public Transport Vehicles in order to promote economic recovery,” said the governor in the EO.
Under the EO, PUVs such as buses, minibuses, utility vehicle expresses, taxis, and public utility jeeps shall be allowed to operate within the Province of Cebu at one hundred percent seating capacity.
However, extension or jump seats, and standing along the aisle of the PUVs while in transit shall not be allowed.
Furthermore, PUVs shall regularly disinfect all surfaces, especially seats, armrests, and handles, with disinfecting agents and Ultraviolet Germicidal Light.
“Drivers and conductors are required to wear face masks while the wearing of personal air purifiers is strongly encouraged,” said the EO.
All PUVs plying the territorial jurisdiction of the Province of Cebu is required to secure Provincial Public Utility Vehicle Passes that should indicate: (1) the plate number of the concerned PUV; (2) a control number; (3) permitted seating capacity; (4) a QR Code; and (5) signatures of the Governor at the front and the Provincial Administrator at the back.
The PUVs must possess valid Provincial Public Utility Vehicle Passes at all times or else the operators will face appropriate penalties prescribed by LTO and LTFRB.
PUVs entering the North and South Bus Terminals will be required a trip ticket every time they exit the terminals.
The Trip Ticket reflects: (1) a QR Code; (2) plate number of the PUV; (3) date of trip: (4) trip route; (5) control number; (6) permitted seating capacity; (7) actual number of passengers onboard; (8) notice of last disinfection; and (9) signature of the dispatcher.
PUVs shall possess valid Trip Tickets with the aforementioned information at all times.
The police are in charge of setting up checkpoints all over the province to check the compliance of the PUVs to the new mandate.
Should a PUV be found violating the order, the PUV will not be allowed to travel to its destination and shall be subject to the appropriate penalties under existing LTFRB and LTO rules and regulations.
Further, the PUV operator shall provide another vehicle to transport the affected passengers to their point of destination.
The order is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on March 1, 2022.
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