Salceda pushes for service contracting, more safety measures in trains

House ways and means chair Joey Salceda on Sunday urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to allow more modes of public transport to operate and increase the number of available trips, in response to calls to “optimize” public transport by reducing the required distancing in mass transit.

“Of course, we need to comply with minimum health standards. That is why the best way to ensure that we can enforce social distancing in transport systems is to have enough space for workers who travel in the first place,” the Albay lawmaker said.

Salceda was commenting on a letter sent by the Philippine College of Physicians to President Duterte on September 11, recommending against the plan to “optimize” public transportation if it will involve reducing required distances between passengers.

He said service contracting would be crucial in ensuring that social distancing is enforced by making more space available in the first place.

“Under GCQ, the share of the NCR economy that is allowed to open is at 58 percent. However, without sufficient public transport to move the workers who operate the economy, the actual operational economy falls to 36 percent. That shrinkage will definitely delay our economic recovery,” Salceda said.

He noted that of 55,000 jeepneys in Manila, only about 6,000 are operating.

“This could be an opportunity to rationalize routes. With service contracting, we can actually allocate more vehicles to where they are actually needed, as opposed to our current outdated route map,” Salceda said.

“We would also be able to provide transportation for an additional 400,000 workers, which could relieve pressure off our mass transit systems,” he explained.

“That is around 8 percent of all workers allowed to go to work,” Salceda added.

He added the UV express vehicles may also be contracted, provided that they can be made safe and can allow for social distancing.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)