LTO: Two persons per row only in private vehicles during GCQ

MANILA: The LTO (Land Transportation Office) has amended vehicle capacity while still following physical distancing protocols during the GCQ (general community quarantine).

According to LTO Chief of Operations Mercy Jane Paras-Leynes, both private and government vehicles are not exempt from IATF-MEID (Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases) rules to reduce the chance of spreading the COVID-19 virus.

Each row must only seat two passengers, the front row can accommodate one aside from the driver. This means a regular sedan can seat four in total and a seven-seater SUV can seat six.

If there’s more than one passenger in the vehicle, all occupants must also wear masks.

“Sa private, even sa government vehicles, meron din tayong sanitary protocols na sinusunod. Katulad po ng pagsusuot ng mask at all times (In private, even government vehicles, we have sanitary protocols that must be followed. For example, wearing masks at all times),” said Leynes.

Mobile units of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Highway Patrol Group (HPG) along with enforcers have been deployed all over Metro Manila in order to strictly implement these measures.

Motorists found violating health and safety protocols while driving will face steep fines similar to "reckless driving" or "driving without a license" as per LTO Memorandum Circular 2020-2185.

Photo from the Department of Transportation

Also read: NCR in GCQ: Public transportation to be phased in, EDSA restructured