Gov. Gwen Garcia has given the go signal for van-for-hire (V-hire) drivers and operators to relocate to the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) after they have been kicked out from the Kamagayan temporary terminal by the Cebu City Government.
Their operations are expected to kick off at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2023.
Gov. Garcia's decision came after these operators and drivers met with her on Wednesday to ask for her intervention after their operations from the Kamagayan temporary terminal along Junquera Street was stopped.
The Cebu City Government, which owns the 7,000 sq.m. lot in Barangay Kamagayan, ordered its closure last April 28 after seven years of operation.
These vans are servicing passengers from Cebu Province, plying specifically to southern towns and cities in the Province.
The governor assured them that Capitol will allot the space at the back of the CSBT for the V-hire sub-terminal.
The space is ready to accommodate vans.
As they will be using the Province's CSBT facility, V-hires would now be integrated into the beep card system being implemented in the terminal.
The governor has ordered an immediate orientation of V-hire operators and drivers on this system.
Dondon Omayan, president of GT Express Toledo Operators and Drivers Association, welcomed the governor’s immediate action.
He said they are willing to adopt the beep card system and to go through the orientation needed.
Omayan is one of the operators who appealed to the governor to express their plight after their terminal was relocated to SM Seaside.
This area is not commuter-friendly because passengers will have to pay extra for their fare going to the mall.
Some passengers would take 'habal-habal' for an extra P100 to P200 pesos. | Carlo Lorenciana