TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The city government recently issued guidelines for the operation of tricycles and ‘tuktuks’ in the city during the period of general community quarantine (GCQ) pursuant to the rules from the national inter-agency task force on the management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero issued Executive Order No. 35, series of 2020, which provided that tricycles and ‘ tuktuks’ shall only be allowed to travel for 2 days in a week for those with plate numbers or conduction stickers ending in 0, 1 and 6, 7 shall be allowed to travel on Mondays and Thursdays only; plate numbers or conduction stickers ending in 2, 3 and 8, 9 shall be allowed to travel on Tuesdays and Fridays only and plate numbers or conduction stickers ending in 4 and 5 shall be allowed to travel on Wednesdays and Saturdays only.
Further, he added the fare for tricycles and ‘tuktuks’ shall not be more than double regular fare as approved by the local government.
The city chief executive pointed out that all drivers and passengers on board the tricycles and ‘tuktuks’ must wear face masks at all times to ensure their safety and prevent them from being exposed to the elements that will cause them to contract illnesses.
He stipulated that the ‘no movement’ policy in the city or the so-called total lockdown will strictly be enforced by the city government on Sundays, except in emergency cases upon showing valid passes or an order or permission coming from the commander of the operations center either in verbal or written form.
Kalinga, including the component city of Tabuk, has been included as a low risk area downgrading the previous ECQ to general community quarantine (GCQ) effective May 1, 2020, with the partial operation of certain establishments and mass public transportation will be allowed but on a regulated basis or 50 percent capacity.
He urged the operators and drivers of tricycles and ‘ tuktuks’ in the city to understand and cooperate in the implementation of the guidelines allowing the partial operation of mass public transportation as part of the recommendations to be enforced to avert the possible spread of the illness in the city.
Tabuk City is one of the places in the Cordillera that remains to be COVID-free since the implementation of the ECQ and even after the downgrading of its status to GCQ.
City officials are optimistic that with the start of the operation of certain businesses and mass public transport, the city’s economy will slowly recover and livelihood of the people will regain their vibrance.
By Hent
