BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Capitol executives here are calling on the Vallacar Transit Inc. that owns and operates the giant fleet of Ceres buses in the island, to “improve” the control of and protection of its passengers and to “come up with a system” to impose strict physical distancing in its terminals.
Vice-Governor Jeffrey Ferrer told DNX it is up to the VTI management to improve its passenger-control measures in at least eight terminals, according to DNX estimates, all over the province.
The company operates at least 4,000 buses in 15 stations across the Visayas region, VTI had earlier disclosed to DNX.
It serves a population of about two million in the island alone.
Lawyer Rayfrando Diaz II, for his part, said it is up to VTI to come up with a system since government cannot dictate on a private company what to do in terminals that are private properties owned by the firm.
“We cannot simply come in and tell them what to do,” Diaz told DNX.
Netizens have been decrying today the lack of physical distancing measures in bus terminals as VTI resumed regular trips today across the island.
Some bewail the lack of preparation by government and the management such as having private guards enforce the one-meter minimum distance between persons lining up to board buses.
