Cagayan, Philippines – Governor Manuel Mamba on Friday, November 26, 2021, has confirmed the start of the inter-regional route operation of public utility buses in Cagayan on the first week of December.
This is after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) allowed the set-up after an agreement was made between LTFRB Region 2 Director Edward Cabase and Governor Mamba last week, allowing the re-opening of the inter-regional route for public vehicles coming from Metro Manila and other regions entering Cagayan.
The governor, in a report of Cagayan Provincial Information Office, said that the first bus company which was permitted to begin operation is the Florida Bus Company.
With the start of the operation, Mamba expressed hope the guidelines mandated by the Alert Level System set in the province shall be followed
He added that bus companies should strictly adhere to Covid-19 protocols and guidelines to ensure the safety of the public, particularly their passengers.
“Ang Florida na dati ay 49 ang pasahero ay magiging 32 para hindi dikit-dikit ang mga pasahero. I understand na tatlo lang per row para makasunod sa protocols,” the governor said.
As told by LTFRB, all public utility buses are only allowed to operate at 50% capacity as prescribed by the memorandum of the Department of Transportation.
The agency stressed that fully vaccinated individuals may present their vaccination cards to the bus crew when traveling, while those partially inoculated individuals are required to present negative results of their antigen tests taken within 72 hours.
Meantime, Mamba is expectant that with the re-opening of the inter-regional bus route there will be an increase of 5 percent in the local economy. He said the move is a big step to revive the local economy of Cagayan.
As recalled, the start of the Covid-19 pandemic greatly affected the operation of public transport routes in adherence to health and safety protocols and quarantine restrictions.
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