Cebu City open to private operators for BPO workers’ special bus service

CEBU CITY Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña said private operators are welcome to provide special bus services to business process outsourcing (BPO) workers, but the fare should be minimal. On. Nov. 12, the city government started a free evening-to-early morning bus service for call center agents to and from the city’s IT Park after BPO worker Loraine Temple, 37, was shot dead after fighting off robbers in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City. “Our number one priority is the safety, not for anything else. And because of the incident that happened, we are applying it in Mabolo. And, little by little, as we grow, we can expand it in other areas. We just want to make our BPO agents feel safe.” Mr. Osmeña said. The mayor said one bus company has already expressed interest to provide the service. The mayor said the city government is currently offering the bus rides for free as imposing a fare would require a franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), which will take time to process. — The Freeman