by Kristine Doringo
MANILA, Philippines — Plastic barriers for separating passengers inside public utility vehicles (PUVs) are no longer required, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), despite the fact that their use is not supported by science.
"Drivers and operators can already remove them because there is no medical evidence that they can prevent the spread of COVID-19, based on our studies." Instead, the virus could stick to them," said Mark Steven Pastor, Assistant Transportation Secretary for Road Transportation, at a press conference on Friday.
That said, the DOTr emphasized that health and safety precautions will continue to be strictly enforced in all modes of public transportation. PUV drivers have been employing plastic barriers to separate passengers within their units and to comply with the 50% capacity regulation in public transportation since July 3, 2020, when jeepneys and buses were allowed to return to the streets through a gradual reopening of routes nationwide.
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