Gov’t-registered tourist vans now open to online booking
MANILA, Philippines — Some tourist destinations are now just a van away.
This, after van booking service Vanwagon announced that it is now offering regular trips to and from provincial destinations. The booking service is registered and allowed to operate by the government.
Passengers can book their seats online through http://booktouristvan.com for seamless reservation. Pre-booking of rides is required.
The online platform is powered by online bus booking platform Biyaheroes which aids van operators with a comprehensive system for contact tracing and inventory oversight.
With the new online platform, passengers can experience paperless transactions, various payment options and sure seats. They will also be provided with free face masks.
As of writing, here are the available tourists van trips available along with their corresponding fares:
- SM Mall of Asia to Cabanatuan and vice versa (P550/person/way all-in)
- SM Mall of Asia to SM Rosales and vice versa (P770/person/way all-in)
- SM Mall of Asia to Clark or Dau and vice versa (P450/person/way all-in)
- Baguio to Dau and vice versa (P660/person/way all-in)
- Baguio to Clark (P660/person/way all-in)
The booking services reminded that passengers coming from Clark going to Baguio City can board via the Dau Terminal. It said that the terminal is just a few minutes away from Clark International Airport.
Aside from the available routes, the booking services advised the public of current travel requirements.
It said that terminals require face masks and face shields for entry.
Mandatory temperature checks are required while social distancing are also implemented inside the vans. The company said temperatures above 37.3°C will not be allowed to board.
It added that travel authority from the Philippine National Police and certificate of employment and/or company ID must also be presented.
Meanwhile, tourists headed to Baguio are asked to register at the city’s visitor management platform, VIS.I.T.A. online portal (Visitor Information and Travel Assistance at http://visita.baguio.gov.ph/ prior to arrival with reservations to an accredited hotel and travel agency.
On the other hand, returning residents and or visiting relative must also register via the city’s website (https://hdf.baguio.gov.ph/).
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the VIS.I.T.A. platform received an encouraging number of 2,000 registrations and some 200 travel requests since it officially launched on September 22.
Last Saturday, Puyat said Baguio City will welcome tourists from Luzon starting October 22. The city will accept a maximum of 200 guests per day “to ensure proper visitor management.”
The booking services warned the public to check the requirement of local government units they are visiting before finalizing their trip as there may be multiple travel requirements for each destination on national and provincial levels that may change from time to time.
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