Ang araw-araw na byahe ang isa sa mga ipinangangamba ng mga Pinoy commuters ngayong may 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Dahil kadalasang nagsisiksikan ang mga pasahero sa loob ng jeepney o bus sa Metro Manila, hindi maiwasang mag-worry ng mga commuters na baka sila mahawaan ng sakit na itong nakukuha through physical contact with a contaminated person.

Bilang solusyon, sinabi ni Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Atty. Martin B. Delgra sa kanyang press conference, March 10, 2020, na kanilang ipinagbabawal na ang overloading ng public utility vehicles (PUVs) sa gitna nitong national emergency.

Ini-upload ng LTFRB ang press conference sa Facebook page nito noong araw rin na iyon.

"We would like the public to know that the agency has put safety measures in place so as to protect our most important stakeholder—the riding public," sabi ni Chairman Delgra.

"We follow the protocol of WHO [World Health Organization] as well as DOH [Department of Health] to address taking a bus, taking a public utility vehicle—like jeepney, taxi for that matter—especially for buses, we know there's a crowd inside.

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"And we would like to address that by calling the attention of operators kasi po sila po—iyong driver at konduktor—sila iyong nagpapapasok, nagbababa ng pasahero...

"We are actually telling the operators, lalong-lalo na sinasabihan namin iyong mga driver na hindi na puwede iyon siksikan.

"Kasi iyong driver siya naman iyong may hawak ng pindot kung kelan bubukas at sasara iyong pintuan."

Iklinaro naman ni Chairman Delgra na puwede pa rin ang "standing room" sa loob ng mga bus, gaya ng nakasaad sa existing LTFRB rules.

Kailangan lang daw siguraduhin ng mga PUV drivers na hindi magiging overcrowded ang kanilang sasakyan.

Kanyang pagpapatuloy, "So we know that under our existing rules, standing is allowed to a certain extent.

"Pero hindi rin naman po puwede, there is what you call 'overcrowding,' especially at this time of national emergency...

"May nakatayo pa rin pero hindi na iyong siksikan."

LTFRB WILL MANAGE BUS ROUTES TO ADDRESS transportation SHORTAGE

Sa pagbabawal ng overloading ng mga PUV, sinisiguro raw ni Chairman Delgra na hindi kukulangin ng masasakyang bus ang mga commuters.

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"To be very candid about it... the number of buses that pass through EDSA is supposed to be more than enough to address the manning.

"Inaayos na nga natin ngayon kung paano natin isasaayos ang ruta na iyan.

"In fact, last weekend, we have already met with the team here at the LTFRB to understand how we can cut the routes, kung saan ang isang round trip umaabot ng seven to eight hours, which is already illogical," pagpapaliwanag ni Chairman Delgra.

"It's about having to manage the routes moving forward."

Habang hindi pa tuluyang naisasakatuparan ang mga plano ng LTFRB, inaanyayahan ni Chairman Delgra na maging maingat ang mga byahero ngayong kasagsagan ng COVID-19 epidemic.

Aniya, "You just have to be mindful and vigilant to take care of your personal hygiene and be conscious of your environment as well."

Dagdag niya, "If I may say, kung wala ka talagang importanteng kailangang puntahan, it might be best of you to stay where you are, in your homes."