'Yolanda' housing dwellers get ID cards for free bus rides

TACLOBAN, City, Jan. 4 (PNA) -- The city government continues the production of identification cards for super typhoon Yolanda survivors who have been relocated to the northern part of the city in the past two months.

According to Leonard Tedence Jopson of the city housing community development office, the creation of ID cards aims to identify recipients of free bus ride from their new homes to the city’s downtown and back.

“As of now, nearly 1,000 cards are already made. We should be able to produce nearly 4,000 identification cards for all beneficiaries,” Jopson said.

A task force have been visiting relocation sites to double check potential cardholders.

“Only those newly-transferred individuals who have the cards are allowed to ride the bus. Those dwellers in all resettlement areas do not have the permission to ride so it won’t affect the operation of public utility vehicles,” Jopson added.

Identified as pick up points are housing sites in Villa Sofia, North Hill Arbour, Guadalupe, and Ridgeview all in the northern part of the city for the free ride. Drop off points are San Jose district near the airport and the City Astrodome area.

The buses, commissioned by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino, arrived in the city last week of November last year to transport workers and students whose, families have been transferred to northern relocation sites between November 2016 to present.

Vallacar Transit, Inc., the largest public land transportation company in Negros Island has lent their three Ceres Liner buses to the government for the use of relocated families.

The buses will stay in Tacloban for six months to provide transportation for the new residents, in going to and from school and work, until a new public utility vehicle route is fully established. (PNA) JMC/SQM/Robert S. Bona (OJT)