BACOLOD City – Travelers bound for areas outside Negros Occidental should present these requirements before boarding a Ceres bus: an S-Pass permit, a StaySafe.PH application and negative results of their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests 72 hours prior to travel. Prepare these documents before you get your bags ready.
The Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), operator of Ceres Liner and Tours buses, is set to resume trips outside Negros Occidental after almost a year of suspension due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Jade Seballos, media relations officer of the VTI, said they are now processing special permits before the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB).
Despite this development, Seballos reiterated that travelers should still adhere to minimum health protocols such as wearing of facemasks and face shields, washing of hands and social distancing.
Among the trips slated to resume are in the following routes: Bacolod City – Cebu; Bacolod City – Dumaguete City; Bacolod City – Zamboanga City; and Sipalay City – Canlaon City.
Should a passenger fail to comply with the requirements, he/she will be denied boarding.
Fare hike is also being eyed, Seballos said, “due to the limited passengers.”
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz previously said bus trips would be “point-to-point”, meaning drivers are not allowed to bring in passengers in between destinations, and passengers are also not allowed to disembark prior to reaching the terminal.
The move aims to make sure they can easily track the movement of the travelers, he said./PN
