SOUTH BUS TERMINAL DUTIES
At least 110 Cebu Provincial Capitol employees will be deployed at the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) on November 1 and 2 to augment the terminal management’s operational force during the expected influx of passengers for the celebration of the All Saints and All Souls Days.
Jonathan Tumulak, manager of the South Bus Terminal, said that the Capitol employees, who would be paid overtime for working on the two-day holidays, would help usher the passengers in the terminal.
The employees were trained on October 26 to assist, guide, and respond to medical emergencies of the passengers in the terminal in order to ensure an organized flow.
Tumulak said that an additional number of medical staff would also be deployed including roving nurses who would be ready to help passengers with their medical emergencies.
“We placed the clinic in a strategic area visible to the passengers. It also has complete medical equipment such as oxygen tanks and blood pressure apparatus,” said Tumulak.
Tumulak reminded the passengers to avoid bringing big baggage and choose bags that could be carried on the back or by hand.
“Avoid bringing sharp tools as well as those will be confiscated. Butane, makeshift stoves, and other chemicals are also prohibited,” said Tumulak.
He added that the passengers and vendors would not be allowed to stand by the entrance in order to avoid clogging the entrance and exits of the CSBT.
The CSBT management has coordinated with the local government units (LGUs) to provide service buses and vehicles to help transport stranded passengers as Tumulak expects a shortage of buses during the holidays.
“These service buses will be stationed at V. Rama Street so that they can easily respond when the time comes,” said Tumulak.
The priority for the free service buses are persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, pregnant women, and children.
He also said that he would be expecting the influx of passengers to start arriving at the terminal starting this weekend.
He said this would be because the semestral breaks had already started.
We are expecting the bulk of passengers starting today (Oct. 27), but we are expecting a large number of them on Oct. 29 and 30,” said Tumulak in Cebuano.
Tumulak said there would be standby buses in case there would be no more passenger buses available, stranding many commuters.
He said they had asked the help of local government units in the south to make sure that additional buses would be on standby to ferry the stranded commuters.
He said San Fernando and Carcar City had already committed to provide standby buses.
He said that they were still waiting for other LGUs to commit and offer their buses when needed.