マニラ首都圏で公共交通機関4,000台の運行が許可

フィリピンの陸上交通料金規制委員会（LTFRB）は8日、約4,000台のバスとジープニー（乗合タクシー）のマニラ首都圏での運行を来週4月12日から許可することを発表しました。

このうちジープニーは1,800台が60路線、地方バスは2,600台が190路線の運行を許可されます。

ちなみに、人口の10分の1が住む首都圏での公共交通機関の利用率は、先月76％だったといいます。このように多くの人が利用するため、路線を開設する際には、運行者に乗客の健康管理・感染予防を徹底するように呼びかけられています。

また、運行者が、収入が少ないことを予測して許可を得たにもかかわらず公共車両の運行を拒否した場合、LTFRBの規約に違反することになります。

限られた範囲ではあるものの、首都圏でも公共交通機関の運行が始まれば、滞っていた経済の回復期待できます。しかしそれと同時に人も移動するため、引き続き感染対策に慎重に取り組むことが求められます。

以下、ABS-CBN NEWSより

Transport regulator allows 4,000 buses, jeepneys to operate in Metro Manila

MANILA – Some 4,000 buses and jeepneys will be allowed to ply the streets of Metro Manila next week, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said Thursday.

Of this figure, 1,800 jeepneys will be allowed to operate on 60 routes and 2,600 provincial buses will ply 190 routes in Metro Manila once they receive a greenlight from local governments, said LTFRB Metro Manila regional director Zona Tamayo.

Public transportation in the capital region, home to a tenth of the country’s population, was at 76 percent last month, according to Tamayo.
“Sa pagbibigay po ng permiso o pago-open po ng routes dito, mahigpit po nating sinasabi sa ating mga operator ang pago-observe po ng ating health protocols para po sa kanilang operation,” she told reporters.

(As we open routes, we remind operators to observe health protocols in their operation.)

Public vehicles that refuse to operate despite being given permission due to anticipated low income would be violating the terms and conditions of their franchise, Tamayo said.

“Hindi ho pupuwedeng sila lang ho ang magde-declare kung kailan sila babiyahe o hindi. Lalabas po na may abandonment po ng kanilang ruta at iyon po ay violation po ng kanilang prangkisa,” she said.

(They can’t be the ones to declare when they want to operate. This will result in abandonment of their route, which is a violation of their franchise.)

Public transportation units within the NCR Plus bubble (Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal) operate at limited capacity to curb the spread of COVID-19 as cases continued to rise.
The area is under enhanced community quarantine, the strictest lockdown level, until April 11.