Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade has ordered the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to come up with ways to provide assistance to conductors of public utility vehicles (PUV) who were displaced by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement on Monday, Tugade said he gave the order following reports of conductors begging inside PUVs and asking for assistance from the government.

“Dahil dyan, mariin kong inuulit ang aking naging direktiba sa LTFRB na silipin kung paano matutulungan ang mga konduktor na naapektuhan ang kabuhayan dahil sa pandemya (Because of this, I say again my directive to the LTFRB to look into providing assistance to conductors whose livelihood are affected by the pandemic),” Tugade said.

He also asked PUV operators to assist their own conductors.

“Huwag ninyong pabayaan ang inyong mga konduktor. Tulungan natin sila. Walang iwanan (Don’t neglect your own conductors. Let us help them. Let’s not leave anyone behind),” Tugade said.

Earlier, several bus conductors were seen asking passengers for monetary assistance after they were reportedly dropped by bus operators participating in the LTFRB’s “Libreng Sakay” Service Contracting Program.