The Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Monday that aside from the face mask requirement in all public utility vehicles, the same rule now applies to private vehicles as well. All passengers in private and government cars should be wearing a mask, except when there is only one person inside the car.
This is because it will be hard for law enforcers to distinguish if people really do come from the same household or not. LTO Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante explained this in an online press conference: “Wala kaming nakita o nagdi-differentiate, whether yung sakay ng vehicle nakatira sa isang tahanan o magkahiwalay.” (We can’t differentiate whether the passengers of a vehicle live together or not.)
ALSO READ: 18 Super Cool and Creative Face Masks and Face Shields That Filipinos Have Been Wearing
Image: Charles Deluvio via Unsplash
For now, as the rule has just been put in place, offenders won’t get fined yet as per LTO, but instead will be met with a gentle reminder of the importance of face masks. However, when they do start fining, the rates are the following:
- Private vehicles: P2,000, P3,000 and P5,000 plus one-year suspension of driver’s license for the first, second and third offense
- Public vehicle: P5,000, P10,000 and P15,000 plus one year suspension of driver’s license for the first, second and third offense. Take note that face shields are also required in public vehicles.
You can read the formal guidelines on transportation during GCQ here.
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