Vallacar Transit Inc. is seeking Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson’s permission for its buses to travel to areas outside of Negros Occidental and back, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, March 16.
Diaz said to ensure that all passengers entering the province on these buses have negative RT-PCR test results, an S-PASS and are registered at StaySafe.PH they will only be allowed to disembark at the Bacolod south and north terminals where they will be checked by Capitol personnel.
Vallacar Transit Inc. chief operating officer Hernan Omecillo has asked Lacson for an endorsement letter to be sent to Richard Osmeña, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 6 regional director, in support of VTI’s application for a special permit to operate five routes.
They are the routes from Bacolod to Cebu City, Dumaguete City, Zamboanga City, and Canlaon City, and Sipalay City to Cebu City, Omecillo said.
Diaz said they are just threshing out the details so the governor can send his endorsement letter to the LTFRB to allow VTI to begin operating the five routes.
Passengers will travel from point of origin to Bacolod, they will not be allowed to disembark in various parts of the province, Diaz said.
Aside from the passengers being required to have negative RT-PCR test results from their point of origin, the provincial government will also offer free testing and quarantine for those who want to voluntarily avail of such on their arrival as an extra precaution, Diaz said.
Provincial government personnel will be posted at the airport, seaports, and bus terminals to ensure compliance with the travel protocols of the provincial government, he said.
He said on Monday and today 473 passengers returning to Negros Occidental volunteered to be re-swabbed for RT-PCR tests and quarantined until their negative results are out.
He said on Monday those who volunteered were 131 passengers who arrived at the Bacolod Silay Airport and two at the BREDCO port in Bacolod. Today there were 240 more who volunteered at the airport and 100 at BREDCO port, Diaz added.
“They signed voluntary submission forms. I’m glad our fellow Negrenses are responsible and reasonable,” he said.
There were 75 passengers who arrived by sea and 43 by air in Negros Occidental who tested positive for COVID-19 from March 3 to 16, Diaz said.*