BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Vallacar Transit Incorporated (VTI), that manages Ceres Liner passenger buses, is raring to resume operations between Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, after the announcement of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson that the regional border may be opened soon.
VTI media relations officer Jade Seballos, however, said yesterday that the company will have to wait firstfor the outcome of the dialog between the management and representatives of the provincial government of Negros Occidental, in the implementation of an executive order issued by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, specifically the requirement of a negative RT-PCR test results from inbound travelers to Negros Occidental.
Seballos said that they will also have to comply with whatever requirements will be imposed on them by the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), which will also decide how many passenger buses to be used.
Trips to Cebu, Negros Oriental, Manila and key cities of Mindanao from Bacolod City of VTI passenger buses have been suspended for almost a year now, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, that also led to the reduction of working days for its employees.
Even in Negros Occidental, Seballos admitted that the company operations are not in full swing, as they strictly observed the minimum health requirements, in compliance with the order of the Inter Agency Task Force on Covid-19.
The company buses are being allowed to accommodate only 50 percent of its passenger capacity.
VTI earlier resumed its Iloilo-Mindoro-Santa Rosa in Laguna operations, Seballos said.*
