Public transport ban on unvaccinated riders starts Monday in National Capital Region
THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said it will enforce a “no vaccination, no ride/no entry” policy across all forms of public transport in the National Capital Region (NCR), with the pilot program to launch on Monday, Jan. 17.
“Para mabigyan ng konting allowance ang mga tao (To give everyone time) to prepare for this… Secretary (Arthur P.) Tugade (ordered the policy to be) fully effective by Monday,” Undersecretary Artemio U. Tuazon, Jr. said at an online briefing.
On Jan. 11, Mr. Tugade issued Department Order No. 2022-001, limiting public transportation access to vaccinated individuals in the NCR under Alert Level 3 conditions or higher.
“It will be piloted in the National Capital Region where the vaccination rate is already very high,” Mr. Tuazon said.
The policy applies to all domestic travel to, from, and within the NCR via public transportation by land, sea, and air, according to the order. It also covers public transportation for individuals who reside outside the NCR “but work and/or travel to the same.”
Passengers must show physical or digital copies of their vaccine cards issued by their local government units or the Department of Health, as well as valid government-issued IDs with picture and address.
“In general, a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines; or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine,” the DoTr said.
“Any violation of this DO by operators of public transportation shall be considered a violation of applicable general safety and health provisions under any concession or service agreements, authority or permit to operate, or other similar instruments,” the DoTr also noted. — Arjay L. Balinbin
