The Legazpi City Grand Central Terminal (Photo from Mayor Noel Rosal's Facebook page)
LEGAZPI CITY – The city government here announced on Thursday the resumption of the Legazpi-Manila-Legazpi bus operation at the Grand Central Terminal starting on Saturday (May 22).
City Mayor Noel Rosal, in a phone interview, said the initial resumption of bus operation in this city is in line with the resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) allowing bus operation to resume in the Southern Luzon area.
He said the city government has allowed the maiden travel of Bragais and Bron Bus lines within the point-to-point (P2P) Legazpi-Manila-Legazpi routes.
“While three air-conditioned bus lines -- Alps, Del Monte Land Transport Bus (DLTB), and Peñafrancia -- have been given the green light and endorsed by the city government to operate once additional bus lines are required depending on the travelers’ bookings,” Rosal said.
For the maiden trip, the Legazpi-Manila bus departs from the terminal at 6 p.m. while the Manila-Legazpi bus would leave the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) at 8 p.m.
Rosal said the resumption of bus operation would end the illegal entry of "colorum" or unaccredited vans and cars bringing in residents from Metro Manila and other hotspot areas, which according to the local IATF, had triggered the spike of cases in Bicol.
Travelers are required to book their trips a day before their scheduled travel online or by walking in at the Legazpi LKY Grand terminal.
Passengers are required to check in an hour before their scheduled departure and before boarding the bus, they should show a negative result of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), saliva or antigen test taken within three days before travel.
Rosal said the City Health Office would charge travelers PHP400 each for the RT-PCR test.
Also, travelers must show proof that they are authorized persons outside residence (APOR), or with essential travel purpose, and an identification card.
Joselito Cestina, LKY Grand Terminal manager, in a separate interview said passengers' fare for the non-aircon P2P buses would cost PHP800 while for air-conditioned buses, they would charge travelers PHP900 to PHP1,000 fare.
Buses would be required to strictly follow the 50-percent standard seating capacity rule and implement the minimum health protocols such as wearing of face masks, face shields, and maintaining the one-meter distancing.
Earlier, the city government of Tabaco and the town of Pioduran, both in Albay, have also permitted P2P bus operation. (PNA)
