The days of cash payments inside PUVs might be numbered. The Department of Transportation and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board have teamed up with PayMaya to provide PUV operators with more cashless payment options. The move is in line with measures being put in place to limit human contact during rides as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The public's health and safety remain the topmost priorities of the [Department of Transportation] (DOTr). Ngayon, at higit kailanman, mas kinakailangan nating pangalagaan ang kapakanan, hindi lamang ng ating mga PUV drivers, kundi maging ng ating mga pasahero," DOTr Assistant Secretary for Road Transport Mark De Leon said in a statement.
"We have to end this pandemic. One of the ways to end this is to limit direct human contact to stop transmission of COVID-19," he added.
Under the DOTr-LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2020-018, taxis and transportation network vehicle services operating in areas under general community quarantine must provide their passengers with cashless or digital payment options. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Martin Delgra III says the partnership with PayMaya allows for the quick implementation of cashless payment services for such rides.
Through PayMaya PayOut disbursement, operators can distribute driver salaries to their respective PayMaya accounts. Drivers, meanwhile, can collect payments via credit, debit, or prepaid tap-to-pay cards.
"Cashless payment, particularly in taxis and [transportation network vehicle services] (TNVS), is part of the 'new normal', and we are glad that our drivers and operators have easy and convenient options such as PayMaya, so that they can quickly implement this solution for the safety and benefit of their riders," Delgra said.
"In the 'new normal', we must help everyone adapt to new and safer ways to lead our lives, and that includes the transportation industry," PayMaya CEO Orlando Vea said. "PayMaya is proud to support the government and transport operators not just in helping them accept contactless payments, but to chart the path towards their full recovery as well."
Are you ready to shift to a cashless public transportation system, or are you fine with the options currently in place?
Main image from Melissa Mjoen / Unsplash.