To ensure the safety of Filipino motorists and commuters heading to the provinces for Holy Week, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has set up a microsite and social networking accounts emphasizing safe travel.
Netizens can log on to www.oplanligtas.org, which features tweets from the DOTC's Twitter account, #PinoyKwaresma hashtags and air, land and sea trip schedules.
It also features tweets from the Toll Regulatory Board, Philippine National Railways, and Manila International Airport Authority.
Other features of the microsite, according to a news release posted on the Official Gazette website, include ():
Schedule of land, air, and sea trips Advisories on non-operations of LRT and MRT Philippine National Railway train schedules (Manila-Mayon; Manila-Naga; Manila-Albay) Relevant news and data about passenger rights and safety Attached agencies’ preparation for the Holy Week Videos of inspections by DOTC and its agencies
On the social networking front, the DOTC set up a Facebook account (LigtasKwaresma), and a Twitter account (@DOTCPhilippines) accounts.
Those accounts provide the public with updated travel information and post their views and travel experiences during the Holy Week.
DOTC Secretary Manuel Roxas II said he has also instructed key agencies, such as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), airport authorities and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) to create their own Twitter accounts, "so they can steadily feed information on matters relating to travel safety through the website.”
But the DOTC agencies will use the Twitter hashtag #PinoyKwaresma to facilitate public discussion on travel safety.
“We expect more passengers to travel this Holy Week season compared with the previous year as indicated by historical data we gathered,” Roxas said.
Random drug testing among public-utility bus drivers will again be conducted in bus terminals where there is expected heavy passenger volume. — TJD
