BANGKOK – Traffic jams and crowds of commuters returned to the Philippine capital on Monday, as the metropolis relaxed antivirus measures in a high-stakes gamble to slowly reopen the economy while fighting the coronavirus outbreak.
Commuter trains, taxis, ride-sharing cars, special shuttle buses and motorcycles rumbled back on the road in metropolitan Manila but were only allowed to carry a fraction of their capacity as a safeguard.
Public transport was still limited by the relaxed rules and many commuters waited for hours to get a ride despite the government's deployment of buses.
A larger swarm of private cars also helped choke roads. “Many people are now allowed to go out and many industries are reopening so you’ll see a lot of