AROUND 50,000 bus passengers are expected to travel this Holy Week, an official of the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) said.
Aisa Usop, manager of DCOTT, said during the ISpeak media forum at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Thursday, April 10, 2025, that the terminal handles about 35,000 passengers regularly, with about 700 to 800 bus trips. But with the Holy Week approaching they expect the number of passengers to increase to 50,000 with more than 1,000 bus trips.
Usop added that if the queue gets longer, which usually happens during peak season, they will open Gate 8 only for passengers with no baggage, senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The police personnel will also guard Gate 8 to ensure the smooth flow of passengers entering the terminal.
“Dili gyud nato malikayan na mutaas gyud ang linya kay grabe gyud ang pasahero, what is more important na tuloy-tuloy gyud ang pasahero, dili sila matanggong (we can’t avoid the long line of passengers because of the influx, what is more important is that the flow continues and they will not be stuck),” she said.
Regarding the security implementation, Usop said they have coordinated with safety and security personnel. They are also expecting augmentation from the Task Force-Davao (TFD) and police personnel from Ecoland Police Station as well as K9 dogs on standby in case of unusual circumstances.
They also coordinated with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in case buses are lacking.
Earlier this month the city government of Davao provided new x-ray baggage machines to prevent the sneaking of illegal materials. The machine detects metal objects and identifies items based on colors. It is to make the baggage checking faster and does not require passengers to open their bags. Rejahnne Ruallo, HCDC with reports from RGP
