CEBU, Philippines — Talisay City and other local government units’ request for their jeepney drivers to ply Cebu City routes will have to take a backseat for now as the capital city is in itself in the thick of organizing everything for the smooth return of the PUJs.
“We will have to dwell on (our own) issue (first) because there are routes there, specific routes. So wa pa gani nato na settle atong routes for the jeepneys within the city, masagulan na sad ta og laing issue. It could be very confusing so we still have to dwell on the issue of jeepneys within city streets,” Mayor Edgardo Labella said.
The supposed redeployment of traditional PUJs in Cebu City was deferred after the swab test for the drivers was also moved.
The Cebu City Jeepney Task Force explained that it is following Department of Health guidelines in the conduct of the swab test for these drivers. The rules provide that for non-diagnosis purposes, such as the tests to be conducted on the drivers, pool testing shall be used.
Pooling or pooled sampling, as defined by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is the technique of combining respiratory samples from several people and conducting one laboratory test on the combined pool of samples to detect SARS-CoV-2. For instance, out of a pool of five individuals, only one will be taken a sample for testing.
The task force, however, assured that the delay will not last for a long while.
Talisay City
Meanwhile, the City of Talisay-Traffic Operation Development Authority (CT-TODA) has reminded its members to distance from or refrain from interacting with PUJ drivers who are not following health and safety protocols.
This is to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.
Earlier, nine PUJ drivers from Talisay City and Minglanilla, who were among those who applied for plying the streets of Cebu City, tested positive for the virus.
CT-TODA chief Jonathan Tumulak, thus, urged Talisay City drivers to observe the health protocols such as social distancing, wearing of face masks and face shields, among others.
Tumulak warned that erring drivers will be face possible arrest for violating existing rules.
For his part, Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr. said that the drivers who tested positive for the virus have already been quarantined.
As for the drivers who tested negative, they remained determined to apply to be allowed to ply back in Cebu City to regain their livelihood. — Gabriel C. Bonjoc, JMD (FREEMAN)