VP Robredo, DOTr provide free shuttle rides for health workers

MANILA: Amid the Covid-19 crisis, Vice President (VP) Leni Robredo and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) take extra effort in providing free shuttle rides for health workers. This is to help transport health workers who do not own private vehicles to hospitals and other health facilities.

Starting today, March 18, 2020, the free shuttle services will go through five routes and will pick up health workers for a specific time, from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at various points. The shuttle rides are also available during the afternoon.

The free shuttle services were implemented after President Rodrigo Duterte placed Luzon under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). The ECQ suspended mass transportation services and employment to limit travel on the main island of the country, where large industries and communities are located.

The mass transportation suspension led to health workers and frontliners commuting to their workplace for almost three hours.

Interior chief Eduardo Año stated earlier that local government units (LGUs) might offer transportation to employees who are exempted from the ECQ. This also applies to people who need to purchase their necessities.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto also helped in easing public transport restrictions. He allowed the city's tricycles to operate and cater to exempted employees and health workers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) declared that it would provide point-to-point (P2P) transportation service to transport frontliners and health workers who need to reach their destinations immediately. The P2P transport service will prioritize health workers who do not own private vehicles. The DOTr fulfilled its promise since it already deployed several buses today, March 18, 2020 at 7 a.m..

For health workers wanting to take advantage of such free shuttle and bus rides, they need to remember that there are two pickup locations identified. These are the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and the BCFT East Metro Transport Terminal located in Marikina City. The buses can go around the metro from all these two places and stop at numerous hospitals.

For the authorized routes, below is a list for everyone's reference:

Route 1: (PITX to Quezon City General Hospital via Makati or Pasig)

PITX

Makati Medical Center

St. Luke's Medical Center – BGC

Rizal Medical Center

The Medical City – Ortigas

East Avenue Medical Center

Philippine Heart Center

Lung Center of the Philippines

Quezon City General Hospital

 

Route 2: (PITX to San Lazaro/Chinese General Hospital via Manila or Taft Avenue)

PITX

Pasay City General Hospital

Adventist Medical Center Manila

Philippine General Hospital

Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center

Manila Doctors Hospital

University of Santo Tomas Hospital

San Lazaro Hospital

Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center

Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center

 

Route 3: (BFCT to San Lazaro Hospital via East Avenue or E. Rodriguez Avenue)

BFCT

Quirino Memorial Medical Center

East Avenue Medical Center

Philippine Heart Center

Lung Center of the Philippines

Providence Hospital

Capitol Medical Center

St. Lukes Medical Center - East Ave.

University of Santo Tomas Hospital

San Lazaro Hospital

 

The DOTr stated that these routes may change depending on the order of the Department of Heatlh (DOH). Such programs should also adhere to DOH guidelines on social distancing, body-temperature tests, and daily disinfection.

Bus operators like San Agustin and HM Transit, along with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), provided bus services to aid in this campaign as well.

The DOTr also explained that Brian Cu, president of Grab Philippines, pledged to offer free assistance to health workers and frontliners in terms of free transportation. There is also a motor pool system configured for the use of members and officers of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) during the ECQ in Luzon.