Cebu City to provide free rides starting August 9

A resolution has been filed in the Cebu City Council for a sharing scheme among bikers and utility jeepneys on the city’s bike lanes during peak hours.  CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City is set to deploy 18 free buses to different routes in the city to help address the demand for public transportation during peak hours.

Councilor James Cuenco, the chairperson for transportation, said that although there are fewer people going out during the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), workers tend to flock during peaks causing overloading in public transport.

The city-owned buses would start plying the selected routes on August 9, 2021, from 5 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. daily for the duration of the MECQ.

These 18 buses used to serve City Hall employees to and fro their work, but since the City Hall is operating at a skeletal force, there is no need to have as many buses servicing them, said Cuenco.

The northern routes would include Barangays Mabolo, Lahug, Busay, Talamban (Pit-os), and Talamban (Tintay).

For the southern routes, this would include Bulacao, Basak Pardo, Talisay City, Tabunok (Talisay City), Cogon Pardo, Labangon, Guadalupe, Banawa, and Inayawan.

All routes would eventually end at the City Hall, then vice versa. “Sa kada starting point naay mga marshalls nga magmonitor because we need to be an example sa atong mga PUVs (public transportation vehicles) sa health protocols,” said Cuenco.

The councilor hopes the free buses would address the high demand for transportation during those peak hours and prevent PUVs from overloading during those times.

He reminds the public that basic health protocols of wearing masks and face shields and maintaining social distancing must be observed when riding these free buses or any PUV for that matter.    /rcg

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