Bacolod City – The Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI), which operates Ceres Liner passenger buses in Visayas and Mindanao, yesterday started to implement the “no vaccine, no ride” policy of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) that it said to protect the general public from COVID-19.
VTI media relations officer Jade Seballos disclosed that they will only entertain passengers who are fully vaccinated.
The DOTr reminded that the policy only takes effect while Alert Level 3 is implemented to stem the surging cases of COVID-19, particularly with the spread of the highly infectious Omicron variant.
Negros Island and the highly-urbanized city of Bacolod are currently under Alert Level 3.
Seballos encouraged passengers to go to their respective bus terminals for inspection of vaccination cards and checking of body temperature. For humanitarian consideration, she added that VTI buses may pick up passengers with vaccination cards along the road.
Despite of criticisms they got in the social media for implementing the “no vaxx, no ride policy” which may also affect their operations due to anticipated decrease on number of passengers, Seballos said that management has no other choice but to implement the DOTr policy.
All our drivers are fully vaccinated, with many of them having already availed of booster shots, she added.
Even a shopping mall at the reclamation area in Bacolod City also started to implement the “no vaccine, no entry” policy.
“It’s their discretion,” disclosed Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the City Inter Agency Task Force, stressing also that establishments may implement such measures to protect the welfare of their employees and clients. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star, photo courtesy by Vismin)