The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will field “mystery passengers” in public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the National Capital Region (NCR) to make sure drivers and commuters will follow its “no vax, no ride” policy on Monday.

Assistant Transportation Secretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Steven Pastor said Friday these would be deployed along with police officers and lawmen from

other government agencies who will conduct random inspections of PUVs.

“We will deploy 'mystery passengers to make sure our policy will be followed even if the enforcers will not be in uniform,'' said Pastor in a virtual news briefing.

“We will see how the program will be implemented on a daily basis without them knowing that there is a government enforcer in the PUVs,” Pastor said.

Under the policy signed by Transportation Secretary Art Tugade, public transportation access within Metro Manila would be limited to vaccinated population during Alert Level 3 or higher.

Unvaccinated persons cannot ride PUVs unless they are on essential trips and emergencies. DMS