DCOTT Manager Aisa Usop said in a media forum on Monday that this is expected as Davao City is now at Alert Level 1 status.
“We are very happy na nasa Alert Level 1 na po tayo. The good news bumabalik na ang number of bus trips in DCOTT. Based on our monitoring we have more than 600 bus trips a day na since March,” she said.
The current number of bus trips was far from the 200 bus trips a day during the height of the pandemic. Usop said before the pandemic there were a total of 800 bus trips a day at DCOTT.
“If we are going to compare, before the pandemic we have 800 bus trips a day ito yung normal. During the pandemic bumaba tayo to 200 bus trips, a day or 300 at ang pinaka mataas natin ay more or less 400 bus trips a day. Since nasa Alert Level 1 na tayo makikita natin ang pag increase ng bus trips a day,” she said.
Usop is optimistic that the number of trips will return to normalcy, especially with the incoming Holy Week and Kadayawan sa Dabaw in August this year.
“I am hoping na bumalik na tayo sa normal. Step by step. Especially this coming Holy Week in April and May also elections. I am really expecting na dadami na ang mga pasahero. We have our peak months, the month of August for the Kadayawan and December,” she said.
Usop said that buses are now allowed up to 80 percent seating capacity.
“Before we were only allowing 40 to 50 percent capacity sa bus. Medyo nitaas na karon. 80 percent na ka pasahero ang puwede na musakay sa bus,” she said.
Based on the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) under Alert Level 1, all public transportation in areas under Alert Level 1 shall be at full seating capacity. For intrazonal and interzonal travels involving public land transportation between an area with a higher alert level classification and an area under Alert Level 1, the passenger capacity shall be that which has the lower passenger capacity rate between the point of origin and point of destination.
Usop also said that DCOTT is still implementing the health protocols such as hand washing and wearing of face masks.
