DAVAO CITY – The management of the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) has declined the requests of around 300 peddlers to allow them sell again inside the bus terminal amid concerns raised regarding enforcement of physical distancing to avoid transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
DCOTT manager Aisa Usop told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Tuesday that that the peddlers from three vendor associations have not been allowed to sell their goods since the bus terminal reopened at the height of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020.
She said the management feared the minimum public health protocols might not be strictly followed when the peddlers would be allowed to roam around within the DCOTT.
She added that most of them peddle their goods, including durian candies, bottled waters, snacks, and eyewear, outside the gated bus terminal.
“They do not even know how to follow social distancing there outside. They would tail the passengers and force them to buy their goods. We’re already having problem with enforcing social distancing outside our premises,” she said.
Usop said the terminal has only nine security personnel that ensure order is kept and MPHS is complied with.
“If we allow them inside, social distancing must be strictly followed these days because we are not yet out of this pandemic. They may say, why can’t the security guards watch over them? We have 300 plus peddlers as against nine security guards who report on shift,” she said.
She added that the security guards watch over the entry and exit of buses.
Usop added that she received complaints from drivers and conductors before that many peddlers insisted on boarding the buses despite being prohibited by the management due to security concerns.
She said cases of pickpockets involving peddlers stealing mobile phones and wallets of the passengers were also reported to her office in the past.
She said no such report of theft has ever been reported to the management after it prevented them from entering the terminal.
She said vendors renting stalls inside DCOTT also feared that allowing the peddlers inside might put them out of business as they might not recover costs having to compete with peddlers over sales at this time when there is low passenger volume due to COVID-19 restrictions.
She said there are 70 to 80 renters within the terminal.