Passenger traffic in terminals still light

PASSENGERS bound to their respective towns and provinces for their Christmas break have started to jam the different bus terminals in Cebu since Friday.

Jonathan Tumulak, the manager of Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), said commuters bound for the southern towns have started to flock to the terminal since Friday evening.

“Nakatag man ang pag-anhi sa pasahero.

Although nag-expect ta daghan gihapon sa mga umaabot nga adlaw pero dili na daghan kaayo kay nagsugod naman sila panguli Friday pa,” said Tumulak.

(The arrival of passengers remains sporadic. Although we expect their number to increase in the next few days, we see no heavy congestion since some of them have already gone home last Friday.)

Tumulak, however, said that there are enough buses to accommodate passengers in case there is overcrowding.

While in the North Bus Terminal (NBT), Nemesio Lumapac, the terminal’s supervisor, said there are only a few passengers in the terminal on Saturday.

“Dili pa kaayo daghan ang mga pasahero nga naabot. Normal lang ang sitwasyon,” Lumapac told Cebu Daily News.

(The situation here remains manageable since only a few passengers have gone home today.)

Lumapac said they are expecting around 10,000 northbound passengers from Monday (Dec. 24) to Dec. 31.

Meanwhile, police assistance desks were being set up inside the city’s two biggest bus terminals.

Apart from that, Tumulak said they have about 30 to 50 augmented personnel to ensure the safety of travelers.

However, he said that they are still in need of additional manpower in the coming days as they expected thousands of commuters to head home.

The management also urged the riding public to avoid bringing prohibited things such as liquors, firecrackers, sharp objects, and firearms, among others, as these will be confiscated.