DAVAO CITY — Starting August, Davao City- Caraga region bound passengers and vice versa can avail the public transport.
The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) regional director Armand Dioso, said the board has allowed the Davao City-Caraga Region route but is still finalizing the schedule.
LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra in an interview with Newsline.ph on Wednesday said they always coordinate with the LGUs concerned when a request is made to our regional offices. “In the resumption of bus operations, we always coordinate with LGUs at the endpoint, this is a public health concern more than a public transport concern,” Delgra said.
For a start, Dioso said it is opening three trips daily from Caraga Region to Davao City and vice versa.
The impending resumption of the Davao City-Caraga Region route is the first inter-regional route after the country implemented a lockdown on public transport due to the threat of a coronavirus-19 pandemic.
Dioso who was interviewed via the Davao City Government-owned radio station DCDR on Wednesday said they are still coordinating with local government units as the bus traverses different towns from the point of origin to the point of destination.
The bus companies and the LTFRB need to coordinate with the LGUs as health protocols there might be variation in the implementation of health protocols and requirements for the passengers to submit.
He however clarified that their office is also strictly implementing the terminal-to-terminal drop-off and pick-up point policy since passengers undergo health and symptom screening at the bus terminals.
Passengers need not worry about the fare rate though there might be some changes they will stick to the fare matrix which is at P13 for the first five (5) kilometers and P2.80 for every succeeding kilometer.
The local government of Caraga has imposed a health protocol that requires all passengers to present a negative Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) result and other documentary requirements such as the travel permit.
The LTFRB will refer all their preparations to the Regional Task Force Region XI especially in the documentary requirement of passengers and the health measures which they will adopt.
Delgra said they have yet to collate all the request for resumption of bus operations filed before their regional offices.- ezc/Newsline.ph
