Filipinos are demanding a more comprehensive plan from the Duterte administration to address transportation woes amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, a study conducted by data analytics firm WR Numero showed.
Quarantine controls have been eased since the past weeks as the government hopes to revive the Philippine economy, but workers continue to face problems from the country’s mass transportation system.
“As Filipinos adjust to the demands of the national health situation, they are also demanding for the government to do more to solve transport issues during the pandemic,” said WR Numero Research Chief Executive Officer Robin Michael Garcia during a briefing on Tuesday.
“They are expecting the government to adopt better policies and that these should be implemented properly,” he added.
The study titled “Public Transportation Amid a Pandemic: Digital Perceptions and Sentiments” touched issues on reopening of deltamarket reviews more routes for public utility vehicles (PUVs), boosting passenger capacity in train networks, including financial assistance to jeepney drivers.
Twenty-five percent of the respondents wanted the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to open more routes and increase public transport supply, while 26 percent called for the return of provincial buses.
As of early October, the government has allowed the operation of the following PUVs in Metro Manila: 27,016 units of traditional public utility jeepney (PUJ) plying 302 routes; 845 units of modern jeepneys with 48 routes; 4,016 units of public utility buses plying 34 routes; 387 units of point-to-point buses with 34 routes; 286 provincial buses with 12 routes; 3,263 units of UV Express with 76 routes; 40 units of modern UV Express with two routes; 24,356 units of transport network vehicles; and 20,927 units of taxis.
This month, the DOTr also increased train ridership ranging from 13 percent to 18 percent, to 30 percent.
Last week, the government also gave the go-signal for the resumption of the motorcycle taxi pilot run.
WR Numero Research said it used Tangere, a mobile app-based survey form to conduct a survey to 5,000 adult respondents nationwide.
Unique proprietary digital listening and sentiment analysis software called Pathos was also used to collect and process millions of digital data, specifically Facebook data including posts, engagements and sentiments.
majority of the outstanding debts 