PITX to enforce ‘no vax, no ride’ rule

MANILA, Philippines — The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) will enforce the national government’s “no vax, no ride” policy starting tomorrow, an official said yesterday.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier issued an order limiting public transportation access to those who are fully vaccinated in Metro Manila, which is under Alert Level 3, due to the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.

“As a partner of the government in ensuring the safety of the travellers, we would be following the order and strictly ensure that requirements are being followed, so the commuters would be safe,” PITX affairs and government relations head Jason Salvador said in a statement in Filipino.

“We are doing this for everyone’s safety, so we are humbly requesting for the cooperation and understanding of the public as the procedures in place might entail a bit of delay and inconvenience,” he added.

The PITX would be working closely with authorities to help enforce health and safety protocols both in the PITX and in public utility vehicles (PUVs) at the terminal.

Salvador told The STAR that they are “very much ready” to implement the scheme after they have had “ample time to communicate the directive to all our stakeholders.”

The PITX worked closely with the DOTr, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Philippine National Police to ensure that the “plan to promote further safety in public transport is properly put into action,” he said.

According to Salvador, the terminal – which would be regularly disinfected – would have a separate waiting area for unvaccinated passengers or those without proper documentation.

Exempt from this policy are persons with medical conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated, provided that they can present a duly signed medical certificate with the physician’s name and contact details, and unvaccinated persons who will procure essential goods and services, as evidenced by any appropriate proof to justify travel.

The PITX has required all employees to undergo antigen testing and present negative results prior to returning to work.

Offices are also regularly disinfected and sterilized with ultraviolet light for further protection, the PITX said.

Salvador told The STAR that the provincial trips of PUVs using the PITX would continue despite the extension of Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila.

The provincial bus routes at PITX include Sta. Cruz, Sta. Rosa Integrated Bus Terminal and Calamba in Laguna; and Batangas City, Lipa City, Nasugbu and Lemery in Batangas.

The terminal also has buses going to Cavite City, Naic, Ternate, Dasmariñas, GMA, Trece Martirez, Mendez and Tagaytay in Cavite.

Within Metro Manila, the PITX has buses going to Alabang, Sucat, EDSA Carousel and Monumento as well as jeepneys bound for Divisoria, Baclaran, Vito Cruz via MOA, Lawton, MIA, Nichols and Southmall.

Salvador said there was a decline in the passenger count at the PITX during the past week “not so much because of the implementation of the no vax, no ride scheme, but (because) people now are more wary of going out because of the high number of COVID-19 cases.”