FOLLOWING the lifting of the curfew in Davao City, the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (Dcott) is eyeing to revive the 24-hour operation of the bus terminal.
Dcott Head Aisa Usop told SunStar Davao in a phone interview on Sunday, October 31, that this was raised during a meeting as requested by the bus operators.
"Gi-request sa atong bus operators nga basig pwede na ta mubalik og 24 oras [operation]. During our board meeting, ang atoang Dcott members, ning-confirm nga pwede na, but we will still have to prepare a board resolution nga atong ihatag sa atong city mayor requesting her kung pwede na ba nato ma-open atong Dcott terminal 24 hours," Usop said.
(Our bus operators requested if Dcott could revive the 24-hour operation of the terminal. Our Dcott board members, during a meeting, confirmed that it is now allowed, but we will still have to prepare a board resolution that we will give to the city mayor requesting her if we can now open the Dcott terminal 24 hours.)
Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio signed Executive Order (EO) No. 59 lifting the 24-hour liquor ban and 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew in the city effective Tuesday, October 26, 2021 until January 15, 2022.
Despite the lifting of the curfew, Usop noted a low influx of passengers, especially in the evening trips.
The official is optimistic that there will be an increase in passengers in the coming days.
The normalization of the operation could help especially those traveling to and from Mindanao destinations that are far from Davao City.
Meanwhile, Usop said they are continuously monitoring the operation of the terminal as passengers will be coming in and out of the city for the long weekend.
The official said there has been a low influx of passengers since Friday, October 29 as compared to the pre-pandemic years.
This may be due to the recent Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases order closing all cemeteries and columbariums in the country for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
Usop said there were only some 300 buses in a day that operated in this period.
Although some of the passengers might be those returning to their respective provinces to enjoy the long weekend.
Meanwhile, based on the memorandum from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), buses and terminals are mandated for the continuous observance of the minimum health protocols, including the mandatory wearing of face masks, and face shields.
Usop also said buses are still mandated to follow the maximum 50-percent capacity.
Usop, meanwhile, reminded passengers to refrain from riding public utility vehicles (PUVs) outside the terminals as these might be colorum.
LTFRB-Davao Director Nonito Llanos III said during the Facebook live interview of SunStar Davao’s The Talking Heads that they are also strictly monitoring against colorum as drivers might be taking advantage of the holiday.
Llanos said their office mounted the Oplan Biyaheng Ayos help desk in terminals and some parts of the regions from October 28 to November 3.
LTFRB personnel was deployed in Dcott and other terminals to check the implementation of the health protocols.
The agency also put up a complaint and assistance desk for passengers in need of help and guidance in their trip.