THE Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) turned over a bus worth almost P2 million to Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Bago City on July 19.

Senior Superintendent Joel Superficial, director of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Western Visayas; Chief Inspector Castle Masip, NODJ warden; and VTI officials led by vice president for administration Hernan Omecillo, and human resource policy and employee relations manager John Lumacang led the turnover rites at VTI main office in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, in the presence of BJMP officials Senior Inspectors Jimmy Britanico and Joebert Tulayan.

Masip thanked the private bus firm for extending their support to the jail facility.

NODJ will no longer have difficulty to transport inmates all over the province during court hearings, Masip told SunStar Bacolod.

The bus, which can accommodate 50 persons, is a big help to the operations and escorting functions of NODJ, which is the first beneficiary of a bus in all jails nationwide.

In February, the jail also received a brand new van from the national bureau to help in transporting at least 50 to 60 inmates in court hearings per week.

At present, NODJ has two vans and two buses that can be used for transporting inmates to different courts.

The jail has now 563 inmates. (GYM)