Modern Jeeps, Buses Back On Roads Today

Malacañang is optimistic that the public’s transportation woes will be over starting today with the resumption of operations of buses and modern or standardized jeepneys, while partial operations for UV Express and traditional jeepneys are to be finalized within the month.

- Alexis Romero

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said 15 routes have been opened, covering 308 units of modern public utility jeepneys, to serve the public.

This is in line with the second phase of the “calibrated and partial” opening of the transportation sector since its full shutdown due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

“Perhaps you know that our suffering caused by lack of public transportation would end beginning June 22,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque told state-run PTV-4 last Saturday.

“But we need to observe social distancing because we do not have an alternative. We have to make sure that buses would fill only up to 50 percent of their capacity because while we need transportation to go to work, the absence of social distancing could cause sickness and deaths,” he added.