WITH this week’s reopening of the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella told Cebu officials and members of transport groups that CSBT must observe the city’s curfew at all times.
Labella said the terminal should not operate from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. pursuant to the city’s curfew policy which remains in effect even as Cebu City has shifted to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status.
Labella said health protocol must also be strictly observed at the CSBT, which reopened on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020 after five months of closure.
The CSBT, located along Natalio Bacalso Ave., Cebu City, is owned and managed by the Cebu Provincial Government.
Labella met with Capitol officials, officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the Department of Health (DOH), Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO), the local police, and owners of bus companies on Friday, Sept. 11, to discuss the protocols to be implemented for buses entering the vicinity of the terminal.
The mayor said passengers need to be checked with temperature scanners, while the wearing of masks and face shields should be strictly enforced.
As both Cebu City and Cebu Province are under MGCQ until the end of September, border restrictions have been eased for the passage of motorists and commuters.
However, Labella said police personnel are will continue to monitor borders to regulate the people coming in and out of the city.
Income
Meanwhile, CSBT officials reported only a P70,000 income since it re-opened on Wednesday.
Carmen Quijano, CSBT general manager, said it may take some time before they can regain back their daily income of P200,000 especially since the terminal’s operations are still limited due to strict quarantine measures.
Those ages 21 below and the elderly are still not allowed to enter the CSBT, Quijano explained.
Moreover, a big chunk of their earnings also depended on concessionaires doing business inside the CSBT, said Quijano.
Since the start of the pandemic, concessionaires have not been allowed to operate inside the terminal. This prevented the CSBT from collecting rental fees. (JJL, ANV/JKV)