‘Curfew as quick fix vs Covid to hurt workers’

COMMUTER advocacy group The Passenger Forum (TPF) cautioned the government against implementing haphazard fixes such as the implementation of uniform curfew hours in the National Capital Region (NCR), saying this only increases the burden of already struggling common Filipinos, especially those who work at night, without really denting the spikes in Covid-19 cases.

Primo Morillo, the group’s convenor, said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should exempt employees who can show an ID or document proving that they work in industries or companies that require them to work at night.

“A significant percentage of the NCR workforce works at night or in the so-called graveyard shift, and they commute regularly within curfew hours. The move to implement uniform curfew hours certainly helps them but we also call on our government to standardize and simplify the policies how our night shift workers can avail of their exemption from curfews,” he said.

Morillo appealed to enforcers to be considerate since these workers are already tired and the current situation of public transportation is not helping them.

“The policy must be simple: to lessen the inconvenience brought to these workers who will still commute during a time when it is not easy to find public transportation especially during curfew hours,” he said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered last year the limited operations of public transport systems, cutting their capacities between 30 percent and 50 percent in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Morillo said that the situation further worsens at night, as fewer public transport options are available for commuters.

“This is especially true for those who ride the Edsa Bus Carousel System. Some workers choose to book TNVS units or taxicabs instead, but we need to understand that most of them can’t afford this luxury,” he added, referring to transport network vehicle services like Grab.

Morillo also appealed to the transport department to allow more public utility vehicles (PUV) to ply routes.

“Bus and jeepney passengers know the rules and we believe that most of them want to obey these rules. However, it is a fact that there is a supply problem in the current public transportation landscape and this is a great hindrance in how to effectively implement our Covid-19 protocols,” he said.

He said commuters are forced to crowd in public transport systems because of the dearth in units, which could potentially increase the threat of spreading the virus.

“This is clearly a problem of the lack of spaces for PUV passengers and it is the reason why commuters are left with no choice but to occupy remaining seats or even bus aisles meant to be vacant for social distancing. It will be very helpful if the DOTr will give a go-signal for more PUVs on our roads,” Morillo added.

He clarified, however, that the group is supportive of the protocols. What needs to be done, he said, is for the government to deploy more units on the road in order to ensure that health and safety protocols are properly implemented.

“With the most recent rise in active cases, it is even more pressing for us to look for measures that will truly make our protocols more practicable,” Morillo said.

Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro echoed this sentiment, noting in a radio interview that many workers desperate to reach work or go home during rush hours often cram into the limited spaces in public transport, heightening the risk of Covid transmission. The solution, he said, is to simply increase the supply of units plying the road.