A woman carrying her son submits to baggage inspection at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT). She would be going back to her hometown for the observance of the All Saints’ Day. (Maria Patricia C. Borromeo/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Passengers flocked to Davao City bus terminal early Friday morning Oct. 28, the last working day to go home in their provinces ahead of “Undas”—the traditional observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ days.
Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) officials estimated the commuters to reach 51,650 as the number of bus trips have been doubled since last week.
Aisa S. Uyop, the senior transportation regional officer of DCOTT, said they are expecting the bus trips would surpass 1,000 as passengers are still coming in the terminal even on weekends.
DCOTT recorded 700 bus trips with an estimate of 35,000 passengers. Uyop attributed the increase due to semestral break in schools and upcoming long weekend for “Undas.”
“Based on experience, there will be no increase of passengers on Nov. 1, the increase happened over the weekends,” Uyop told Davao Today on Monday, Oct. 31.
On security concerns, Uyop said no reports of any suspicious acts of any individual or group reported in their office, a claim attested also by PO1 Felix Protestas, the assigned personnel in the police assistance desk in DCOTT.
Protestas said the security of the passengers are their utmost concern, adding that they secure the area for the entire day.
“Our schedule is 24 hours, my schedule started at 8 a.m and will end tomorrow at 8 a.m also. When I reported here, they were not in need of police assistance,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uyop said there are four or more police personnel being deployed in the terminal. Bus drivers and operators were also subjected to a random drug test last Thursday, Oct. 27.
“With the supervision of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Land Transportation Office, they conducted drug testing for bus drivers to know if they are positive on illegal drugs,” she said.
Uyop said the test yield negative results, adding that a heightened security is being implemented at the bus terminal. (davaotoday.com)
