Buses of the Southern Star Bus Transit, Inc. (SSBTI) plying the Tagbilaran City-Panglao and the Tagbilaran-Bohol Panglao International Airport (BPIA) routes will no longer pass through J.A. Clarin, one of the city’s main thoroughfares, starting Monday next week.

This was announced by SSBTI branch Manager Efren Balinas on Wednesday following a muti-panel meeting of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) led by Board Member Alexie Tutor.

Members of the SP and SSBTI management agreed to divert the bus firm’s units away from J.A. Clarin and other key areas including “Plaza Rizal, Dunkin Donuts, Robinsons Bank, and Causeway” leading to Barangay Totolan, Dauis.

From the Integrated Bus Terminal in Dao, Tagbilaran City, the buses will instead pass by Camella Homes in Barangay Dampas towards the Bool-Mansasa Junction and Barangay Poblacion, Dauis.

The SP members during the multi-panel session found out that the SSBTI had failed to follow the route approved by the City Traffic Management Office (CTMO).

The unapproved route previously taken by the SSBTI buses via J.A. Clarin added congestion in downtown Tagbilaran, particularly when these picked up passengers in front of the Robinsons Bank and Dunkin Donuts, as observed by resource persons during the session including Tagbilaran City Councilor Jonas Cacho, CTMO chief Tony Samante and Provincial Tourism Council president Lucas Nunag.

The same route will be followed by the buses in their return trip.

Balinas meanwhile clarified that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board issued a single franchise for its eight units plying the newly established Tagbilaran-BPIA route. (rt)