Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto appeal to exempt tricycle from the ban of public transportation amid enhanced community quarantine has been rejected by Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograle.

The Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has recently asked the national officials to exempt tricycles from the ban on public transportation. Even when the enhanced community quarantine was implemented in Luzon to stop the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Mayor Sotto allowed tricycles in the city to route ferry health workers and emergency patients to hospitals in Pasig.

He said ‘tricycle trips would be subject to protocols set by local authorities such as limiting the number of passengers per vehicle consistent with social distancing rules.’

However, the Malacanang Palace restate that tricycles were among the modes of public transportation that will be banned during the enhanced community quarantine.

Rappler reported that Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles has rejected the appeal of Mayor Vico to allow tricycle operation during the Luzon-wide lockdown. He insisted that local government units can use other vehicles like jeepneys to transport frontline workers, based on a press briefing on Wednesday night.

Nograles said “Concerned ang gobyerno dito sa paggamit ng tricycle dahil hindi namin lubos makita o maintindihan paano mag-social distancing sa tricycle”.

“Let’s all stick to the common ground rules.”

What can you say about this? Share your thoughts in the discussion box below.