Sen. Nancy Binay urges DOTr to experience commuting

Senator Nancy Binay urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to be more considerate of commuters, suggesting officials try commuting themselves to understand the difficulties faced under general community quarantine (GCQ) guidelines.

Binay criticized the DOTr for lacking a clear plan for public transport, even after three months under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and with the shift to GCQ.

She proposed that DOTr officials should experience commuting to work to better grasp the struggles of ordinary Filipinos.

The senator expressed doubt about the government's readiness to further open businesses, citing the insufficient increase in transport modes and the lack of mass transport units on unserved routes.

Binay pointed out that not everyone has private vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, or can afford to walk long distances, especially in bad weather.

She stated that workers and the commuting public do not deserve the current treatment and have sacrificed enough over the past three months.

Binay lamented that the government seemed unprepared for mobility requirements under GCQ, with inadequate buses and public transportation available.

She argued that banning jeepneys from plying streets during GCQ is unrealistic and detrimental to commuters and workers, as it disregards a significant public transport segment relied upon by the majority.

Binay emphasized that excluding jeepneys from the transport equation abandons a critical social and economic sector, affecting 250,000 families.