Several passengers on board a bus bound for Bantayan, northern Cebu sleep on the aisle. This photo, taken by Facebook user Lyndon Placencia, went viral on January 5 or days after LTFRB reminded Bus Operators of the existing No Standing Policy. / PHOTO COURTESY OF LYNDON PLACENCIA
CEBU CITY, Philippines – With bus operators being compelled not to accept standing passengers, or face a penalty worth P5,000, it’s now up to the passengers to find novel ways to catch a fully loaded bus and reach their destination on time.
One of this novel and even hilarious ways to get to one’s destination on time is to literally interpret the no standing on the bus aisles policy as what photos of several passengers lying down on the the floor of a yellow-colored, air-conditioned bus bound for Bantayan town in Bantayan Island, located over 132 kilometers north of Cebu City, suggested.
The photos were uploaded by Facebook user Lyndon Placencia, a native of Bantayan town, who happened to capture these ‘struggling’ moments on the bus that he was boarding.
“BAWAL ANG MAG BAROG SULOD SA BUS … DI MUHIGDA NALANG … Kagabie while niuli ko padulong sa amoa,” Placencia’s caption stated.
(Since it is prohibited to stand on the aisle of a fully loaded bus … so we will just lie on the floor … This was taken while I was heading home in a bus.)
Placencia’s post generated over 2,100 reactions, and shared more than 3,500 times over Facebook as of 2:19 p.m. today, January 5 since they were uploaded yesterday evening (January 4).
In an online interview with Cebu Daily News Digital, Placencia said that the passengers seen lying on the floor of the bus, that departed from Cebu North Bus Terminal at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, insisted to get aboard even if all the seats inside were already occupied.
He added that the next trip bound to Bantayan Island was scheduled to leave the terminal at midnight, Saturday, or nearly three hours later.
“Sa wala pa sila misakay puno na ang bus. Unya sila may mi-insist na musakay. Mao to gi ingnan sa conduktor na sa sunod na lang byahe. Unya kay tungod lage nga 12-midnight pa ang schedule sa next trip mao na miingon na lang ang conduktor na sa stall o extension na lang sila molingkod,” said Placencia.
(The bus was already full and they insisted to get on it. The bus conductor told them the bus was full and that they would have to get on the next bus trip. But since the next trip would be still be at midnight, so the conductor allowed the passengers to board the bus and sit on the stool made for a bus or “extension.”)
While the bus conductor got off the bus during a stop in Jagnaya port to wait for the roro to take them to Bantayan Island, the passengers on the extension lay on the bus aisle and slept.
“Unya OK ra man nila. Siguro gikapoy to sa ilang byahe mao na pag balik ug saka sa conduktor mao nato iyang naabtan nanghigda na,” he added.
(The passengers agreed to use the extension or sit on the stool. They must have been very tired and lay on the floor and slept (at the Jagnaya stop) while the conductor got off to take a break. They were sleeping on the bus aisle when the conductor got on the bus again.)
Placencia said that the conductor must have pitied them and allowed them to sleep on bus aisle as they traveled to Bantayan./ dbs