THE trips of Ceres buses operated by the Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) between Negros Occidental and Central Visayas have officially resumed Saturday, November 20, 2021, an official said.
Provincial Administrator lawyer Rayfrando Diaz II said there will be four buses plying between Bacolod and Dumaguete via Mabinay.
As for travel between Bacolod and Cebu, there will be two buses daily via Mabinay route and another four via Don Salvador Benedicto, Diaz said. Only vehicles from the VTI Bacolod South Branch will be allowed to transport passengers.
This meant that trips via San Carlos City to Dumaguete, Bacolod to Canlaon City via La Castellana, Sipalay City and Hinoba-an to Negros Oriental remain closed, he said.
Based on the guidelines released by the Negros Occidental provincial government, VTI buses will be allowed 70-percent passenger capacity and passengers’ lists or manifesto will be required for local government unit monitoring and contact tracing.
Diaz emphasized that fully vaccinated travelers are required to present an S-Pass and verifiable coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccination cards or certificates.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated should present a negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result to travel aside from the S-Pass, he said.
Diaz also warned that individuals with fake documents will be subjected to 14-day quarantine and must undergo RT-PCR tests on the fifth day from their arrival at their own expense.
S-Pass scanning and verification of incoming passengers will be done at all borders and ports of entry.
Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo earlier approved the resumption of bus trips between the two provinces on the recommendation of their local Inter-Agency Task Force.