A RESOLUTION to revive the free bus rides for IT-BPO employees and the general public who work from midnight to 6 a.m. in certain areas in Cebu City has been submitted to the Cebu City Council.
The resolution, authored by city councilor Nestor Archival, was approved by the Council during its regular session on June 26, 2024.
In his resolution, Archival said the current public transportation cannot cope with a large number of passengers and has a limited schedule of trips from midnight to 6 a.m.
The councilor, citing data published by the Philippine Information Agency in August 2023, said that in the Visayas, Cebu has the highest number of IT-BPO workers with an estimated 200,000 full-time employees.
Archival added that the streets of Cebu City are dark at dawn, and the security and safety of employees are put at risk by criminals.
The resolution requested Acting City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia to reconsider the revival of the city government’s free bus ride with the routes of I.T. Park with the designated stops at JM Del Mar Ave. and Geonzon Street in I.T. Park, and Metro Colon, Barangay Talamban to Cebu Business Park, and vice versa; uptown areas in Cebu City with stops at JY Square, Capitol Building, Fuente Osmeña Circle, Harrison Park in Osmeña Blvd. and Abellana National School, and passengers from the City’s Northern District with stops at the corners of F. Cabahug Street, Hipodromo Road, T. Padilla street, Mabolo Church, and the corners of S. Osmeña Street and Osmeña Blvd.
SunStar Cebu tried to ask Archival about other incidents that prompted such a request; however, several call attempts on Saturday went unanswered.
Sought for comment, Greg Perez, leader of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide in Cebu, said in a phone interview on Saturday, June 29, that he is waiting to have a copy of the approved resolution.
He expressed the need to study it once he has a copy before making any statements about it.
The City implemented free bus rides in 2018; however, it ceased during the change of administration in the City government. / JPS