WITH no passenger jeepneys in sight, Mandaue City commuters had to spend extra to ride buses to work.
Buses charged a fix fee of P10 per commuter.
One of them, 23-year-old Myra Flores, waited 30 minutes before boarding a passing Ceres bus at 10:30 a.m. along SB Cabahug Street near Mandaue City Hall.
Flores, a sales girl residing in Barangay Alang-Alang in Mandaue City, said she had no choice but to pay P10 due to yesterday’s transport strike.
“Maayo na lang ni kay sa mo-absent ko (This is far better than having to be absent from work),” she said.
Saldie Sabaysabay, a Ceres bus conductor, said 10 of their units assigned at the North Bus Terminal were issued special permits to ply outside their route for the day.
Five of these units were deployed in Mandaue City while five others were in Lapu-Lapu City.
Sabaysabay said they started to ply the Mandaue City hall to SM route since 7:30 a.m. and was on their 4th round by 10:30 a.m.
Ceres buses passed by SB Cabahug Street in Barangay Centro to A.C. Cortes Avenue, highway Maguikay, Tipolo, Subangdaku, Andoks in Barangay Mabolo in Cebu City then to SM City Cebu Mall. The buses passed by the North Reclamation Area on its way back to Mandaue City Hall.
A uniformed policeman boarded the buses during their trips to ensure the safety of passengers.
Each of their trips were filled with commuters, some of whom would stand on the middle portion of the bus, just to get a ride.
Their unit was supposed to be bound for Tuburan town in northern Cebu but diverted their trips to Mandaue City.