The Department of Transportation (DOTr) revealed its plans as the country is shifting to the “new normal” as a result of this pandemic. The government agency is looking at digitalization and harnessing the best practices in technological advancements in different transactions.
The move is in line with the safety precautionary measures being prescribed by health authorities to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). These include measures such as physical distancing or limiting direct human-to-human intervention.
“While the mandate of the Department of Transportation is to provide transportation, mobility, and convenience among the population, we are vested with the responsibility that we must help in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” according to DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade.
In the Road sector, several transactions will be made online and through cashless payments.
Starting 16 June 2020, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will launch in Metro Manila the Public Transport Online Processing System (PTOPS), which will allow services to be made accessible online.
As for the Aviation sector, the DOTr is considering the possibility of using Virtual Air Traffic Control (ATC) Towers. The use of remote virtual towers allows ATC services to be provided away from the airport, instead of airport towers. This advanced technology is heavily looked into to ensure that passenger safety will not be compromised.
Additionally, cashless transactions will also be implemented in public utility vehicles (PUVs), taxis, and Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) through the Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS). This is carried out through the support of various payment solutions companies, whose mobile applications have also features that allow contact tracing of passengers.
“We are gearing to a future wherein technological advancement will be highly optimized. As we gradually shift to the ‘new normal,’ we have to adapt digitalization in most of the things we do so that we can move forward and achieve healing faster,” Secretary Tugade expressed.