Cebu City eyes free transpo for graveyard-shift workers

Local

A FREE bus ride to work may soon be a reality for night-shift workers here.

The Cebu City Government is preparing to roll out a free bus service to IT Park for graveyard-shift employees, particularly those in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector.

This is part of a broader initiative to improve nighttime public transportation.

Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. confirmed in an interview on Wednesday, July 2, that while the full implementation is still pending, preparations are underway, and the program is being led by the office of Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

“Sa tinuod lang ang dry-run wala pa jud nag kuha ug pasahero, ni kuha lang ta gikan Labangon unya hantod asa ang stops so mao na gikuha ang time and motions, kung ready nata…I think that's the time,” Archival said.

The mayor added that there is an unofficial route already

being eyed: “Labangon, Bulacao, Mabolo to IT Park.”

In a Facebook post on July 1, Archival said the program is a step toward fulfilling a campaign promise to support night workers.

“When Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña and I campaigned and won your support, we made a promise — and I thank him for the vision and leadership that helped shape it,” he wrote. “Today, we begin upholding that promise, starting with our night-shift workers — the quiet force that keeps our economy moving while the city sleeps.”

“We’re proud to announce that the Cebu City Government will sponsor free bus rides to IT Park for night-shift employees. This initiative ensures a safer, more convenient, and more comfortable commute for our hardworking night workers.”

Osmeña, in a separate interview on July 2, said the city is optimistic about the implementation despite the inevitable challenges that come with new systems.

“Yes. There are always problems when starting something new, but we see no major obstacles like digging tunnels, buying trains, etc,” Osmeña said.

The plan builds on Osmeña’s earlier proposal to establish a commuter-designed, subscription-based bus system for BPO workers, a sector long plagued by late-night transport issues, including high fares and safety concerns.

As detailed in a previous announcement, Osmeña envisions a transport model where workers will tag their home location and shift schedules on a digital city map.

These data points will then be used to determine optimal routes and pickup times, all coordinated through the city’s Geographic Information System (GIS).

“We’ll tell the agents, ‘Look, we can put on your screen an electronic map of the city. You put a dot where you live. That dot opens a file in the GIS system. You indicate what time you have to go to work and what time you’re coming home,’” Osmeña earlier explained.

“We isolate a circumference of these people, talk to them directly, and electronically develop a bus route to their workplace,” he added.

The pilot run, according to Osmeña, will involve at least four buses, with no fare collection during the initial phase.

“Initially, we will not charge because we know the first trip is all screwed up. But everyone expects that. Pasensya na lang, it’s new. We’ll try it one time,” he said.

Eventually, the city will shift to a subscription-based model, where commuters pay in advance and no longer need to hand over tickets or cash to drivers.

“Once they’ve assigned passengers to the buses, collection of fees will just be by subscription,” Osmeña said. “You don’t have to have somebody taking tickets or getting payments. Just board the bus.”

He said he will seek help from private investors to fund the initial fleet.

“I will ask the private sector—a few businessmen—to buy four buses. We’ll give you the route. Then we’ll see if we can make a financial plan that pays for itself,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña emphasized that this system would be different from traditional mass transport schemes, as it will be shaped by the users themselves.

“This will probably be the only system in the world designed by the customer, by the rider themselves, down to where the bus stop will be,” he said. “It will run smoothly, conveniently, and fast.”(TGP)