Cebu-Camotes route pushed for Ceres bus

CEBU, Philippines — The Capitol has endorsed to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board the request for a franchise for Vallacar Transit to serve the Cebu-Camotes route.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia recently met with Vallacar Transit administrative manager, Atty. Moises Flores, and explained to him that there is an untapped market composed of locals and tourists alike waiting for better public transportation in Camotes Island.

She added that Poro town, being at the center of the island, is also the ideal docking place because of its accessibility to both neighboring towns of San Francisco and Tudela.

“Let’s say added come-on ni sa mga pasahero, kay as I explained to Ceres, kanang Poro, naa nas taliwala. Daghan kaayo ana ang mosakay nga either moadtog San Francisco o moadtog Tudela, unya ang uban mo-cross pa gyod na ngadto sa Pilar. Ang market potential dako kaayo,” the governor told reporters.

In the same meeting, the governor also secured the commitment of Paul Rodriguez, CEO of Asian Marine Transport Corp. (AMTC), and Erik Lim, CEO of Topline Group, which operates the Pier 88 in Liloan, Cebu.

They have agreed that AMTC’s Super Shuttle Roro will serve Camotes through Pier 88 and Poro route, and that Ceres buses, with passengers aboard, would also be transported to Camotes on board the Roro.

The Liloan–Poro sea route is set to open on April 20.

With this development, Camotes locals and tourists can also expect cheaper fare rates in land transportation in the island.

“Makaminus gyod na siya kay ang pamasahi diha based sa fare matrix nga i-determine sa LTFRB. So unsay standard nga pamasahe, mao gyod na atong sundon,” LTFRB-7 director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said in a report with Sugbo News.

Montealto added that modernized public utility vehicles will also serve the routes in Camotes Island pending the approval of the local public transport route plan (LPTRP), which the local government units would craft and LTFRB will approve.

“I would like to remind the public, ang LTFRB, mo-issue rami og franchise. Ang mobuhat og ruta, ang LGU,” he added. /GMR (FREEMAN)