AT least 50 thousand passengers trooped to the bus terminals in Cebu, to get home for the Barangay and Sangguniang
Kabataan (SK) elections.
Moreover, this being a long weekend, many also went to the towns to take advantage of the three-day rest period.
Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) Manager Joey Herrera said it was the busiest weekend for them yet.
“We asked for their patience as they had to wait for hours before they could board a bus,” Herrera said in Cebuano.
Malou Perater, 27, and her daughter arrived at the terminal at 10 a.m. on Sunday and waited an hour before she could board a bus to Dumanjug.
CSBT Terminal Operations Head Joy Tumulak said the 400 buses were not enough to accommodate the volume of passengers.
“Normal ra siya magkuwang tungod sa volume sa mga pasahero. Daghan ang mga namauli arun mo botar.” he said. (It is normal that the number of buses were not enough to accommodate the volume of passengers. Most of them wanted to go home to cast their vote).
Tumulak said private vehicles will no longer be allowed to enter the terminal, except those with passengers who are senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Herrera said they have augmented at least ten additional guards to ensure the safety of passengers inside the terminal.
Passengers will have to pass through a metal detector and will also be frisked by security personnel, Tumulak said.
At the Cebu North Bus Terminal, about 2, 000 passengers sought rides for the northern towns.
Terminal Security Personnel Pedro Oswa Jr said they have enough buses to accommodate the huge bulk of passengers.
Around 200 buses were at the terminal yesterday to ferry passengers.
Meanwhile, Tumulak said they reported a bus company to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) for not operating since Saturday.
LTFRB-7 Director Ahmed Cuizon said the bus company will be summoned and asked to explain why they should not be subjected to disciplinary sanctions.
“We will investigate the matter,” Cuizon said.