Fewer passengers seen on New Year’s Eve

Compared to previous days, there were no long lines of passengers at the Cebu South Bus Terminal on New Year’s Eve. (CDN PHOTO/VICTOR ANTHONY V. SILVA)

For five years now, 25-year-old Christine Fajardo has made it a habit to travel back to her hometown in Barili every time she can.

With her partner Marlito Rosales, 28, and their 5-month-old Aspin Paopao by her side, Christine waited patiently for the bus that would take them to the municipality 58 kilometers south of Cebu City.

“We would go home every year, every time there is a holiday. The last time we came home was Christmas,” she told Cebu Daily News.

The couple live in Barangay Tejero in Cebu City, with Marlito working as a porter.

Marlito had to work on Dec. 30, so they missed the trip back to Barili that day.

Nonetheless, Christine said she was thankful they chose to travel on New Year’s Eve as less passengers were seen at the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) on Dec. 31 compared to previous days.

As of noontime on Saturday, CSBT management logged only 175 bus trips or approximately 8,750 passengers, a far cry from the 66,000 travelers noted in the two days leading up to New Year’s Eve.

Compared to previous days, there were no long lines of passengers at the Cebu South Bus Terminal on New Year’s Eve. (CDN PHOTO/VICTOR ANTHONY V. SILVA)

“Some of those who had to go home were probably afraid to get left behind so they left earlier, on the 29th or 30th,” said CSBT operations manager Joey Herrera.

CSBT logged 35,000 passengers last Thursday, Dec. 29, and 31,450 passengers last Friday, Dec. 30.

Herrera said 6 p.m. on Thursday until noontime of Friday had been the most hectic for management as this was the period when passengers came in large volumes.

“We didn’t have a time to relax. If we went slack for even 30 minutes, the crowd will become uncontrollable,” Herrera said.

Nonetheless, there were no reported incidents during those periods and even the days leading up to Christmas last week.

From Dec. 22 to 25, CSBT accommodated around 130,150 passengers, most of whom traveled on Christmas Eve.

The usual incidents would have been snatching and pickpocketing.

Compared to previous days, there were no long lines of passengers at the Cebu South Bus Terminal on New Year’s Eve. (CDN PHOTO/VICTOR ANTHONY V. SILVA)

Around 10 personnel from the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit with canine dogs have been deployed at the CSBT since Thursday for added security measures.

There were, however, still complaints of others cutting in line to buses or that they did not know their way around the terminal.

Herrera said that for 2017, they will focus on providing signage that can be seen better as well as educate passengers to fall in line properly.

Passengers coming from the countryside are expected to return to Cebu City by Jan. 2, Herrera said.

By the time Christine and Marlito reach Barili, it would already be late in the afternoon.

Christine said they would only have a simple celebration, attended by her parents and their other relatives in their house in Barangay Mantalongon.

“We don’t like grandiose affairs. What is important is that we are complete,” she said in Cebuano.