The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) received the green-light to issue traffic violation tickets to operators and drives of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal, and Cavite.
In a memorandum, PNP Directorate for Operations chief PMGen. Alfredo Corpus instructed police personnel to issue temporary operators permit, official violator's receipt, and traffic citation ticket to violators.
The move seeks to ensure that PUVs adhere to the minimum public health standards following reports that public buses and jeepneys violate the rules set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Department of Transportation.
"We will be very strict in the implementation of this as part of our efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Kaya pinapaalalahanan natin ang mga operator at driver ng mga pampublikong sasakyan na umayos kayo kung ayaw ninyong mahuli," PNP Chief PGen. Guillermo Eleazar said.
Eleazar said that police officers will issue tickets if they will find any passengers who do not properly wear face masks, and if the public utlity vehicles exceeds the allowed number of commuters.
The PNP chief also tasked police officers in border control points or quarantine control points to inspect all passing buses and jeepneys to ensure the implementation of the no-travel policy on non-authorized persons outside residence.
"So we are appealing to the drivers to ensure that their passengers are complying with these rules dahil kayo ang magdudusa kapag nahuli kayo," Eleazar said.
"Kayo ang boss ng mga bus at jeepney na minamaneho ninyo kaya obligasyon ninyo na tiyakin na sumusunod sa mga patakaran ang inyong mga pasahero," he added.
