Call center agents in Cebu City will soon get bus rides going to and from their workplaces as part of efforts to keep them safe.

The Cebu City government, though, has yet to determine the number of buses to be deployed for such purpose and the fare amount that will be collected.

Call center agents who report for work or go off duty late at night or early in the morning, has prompted Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to provide bus routes for them from 10 p.m. up to early in the morning.

The mayor said call center agents are discouraged to work the graveyard shift because going home late at night or very early in the morning is not safe and the cost of transportation is high.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the buses will travel around the city, as well as in the cities of Mandaue and Talisay.

“We’re going to put up the bus rides in evening up to early morning. Call center agents will be taken directly to Mandaue, Talisay and other places of work,” he told reporters.

The decision to provide bus rides for BPO workers was a result of the discussion between Osmeña and BPO leaders in Cebu, which brought up the major concern on safety.

The mayor clarified that the fare will remain “normal” and added that what’s important is that the workers will no longer need to transfer from one passenger vehicle to another.

He said the City will have to first conduct an inventory on the number of call center agents to further map out the bus routes.

Aside from this, Osmeña said more volunteers in the neighborhood watch will be needed near call centers for added security.

“We have to organize as soon as we can evaluate the number of people there. Eventually, we’re going to have all these call center agents in one area, in one sitio,” he said.

Although Osmeña has not set a specific time frame, he said the formal operation of the program would be a “seamless transition.”

Sources:

-http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/105448/nocturnal-bus-routes-to-serve-call-center-agents

-http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2016/09/17/bus-rides-cebu-city-call-center-agents-soon-498018

-http://www.mb.com.ph/safe-buses-for-cebu-call-center-workers/