Gov’t studying provincial bus trips’ resumption

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said on Sunday that the government is studying calls to lift the provincial bus ban to ease the effect of the COVID pandemic on drivers and operators.

Nograles said that provincial bus operations can only be allowed to resume if a system to determine that all would-be passengers are COVID-free is put in place.

Guarding against the further spread of COVID is the reason why the Department of Transportation has undertaken “calibrated approach” in slowly providing more transportation options.

“(Transportation) Secretary (Arthur) Tugade is still monitoring how we can assure that those returning to their provinces are safe from Covid),” Nograles said.

Local government units will play a big role in the decision to allow the resumption of the operation of provincial buses.

“Of course, they are also be making sure that there is no increase of Covid cases there,” he said.

p/jhd