North Bus Terminal eyed but drivers prefer malls
Where will vans-for-hire park now that Citilink terminal has been closed?
A proposal to transfer them to the North Bus Terminal in Mandaue City is facing some resistance; drivers want
to move instead to malls like SM City Cebu or Ayala Center.
Rey Gealon, Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) executive director, said the transfer to the North Bus
Terminal would benefit v-hires plying the Cebu City-Balamban route.
“It is important that the v-hires plying the Balamban route be accommodated at the North Bus Terminal since they will be traversing the Transcentral highway and will be more accessible to and from there in Mandaue City,” Gealon said.
But drivers like 39-year-old Antimaro Marcelo Jr., who plies the Cebu City-Balamban route, said it’s better for them to be housed in SM City Cebu.
“Layo na kaayo ang North Bus. Mas pabor para namo sa SM. Mas daghan pa gyud ug pasahero (The North Bus Terminal is too far. We favor SM. It has more passengers also),” Marcelo said.
Accessible
Fellow v-hire driver Lito Abadilas agreed, saying most of their passengers from Balamban are heading to the Capitol building, Chong Hua Hospital and Cebu Doctors Hospital, among other establishments in Cebu City.
Abadilas said SM City Cebu is a better area for them. There are 60 vans-for-hire plying the Cebu City to Balamban town route.
More than 200 v-hires occupy a temporary space near the old Compania Maritima building behind City Hall after last month’s closure of the Citilink Terminal at Natalio Bacalso Avenue.
Marcelo said they have fewer passengers at the waterfront site because it’s not accessible to the riding public.
Accommodate
He said most people heading to Balamban town would rather catch the vans-for-hire in Ayala Center Cebu than at the Compania Maritima building site.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the space is temporary since the Compania Maritima area will be used for the Devotee City during Sinulog.
Gealon said he already wrote North Bus Terminal general manager Zosimo Jumao-as Jr. requesting to transfer the v-hires plying the Cebu City-Balamban route to their terminal.
“They’re more than willing to accommodate the v-hires but they’re pressed for space. I’ll relay this message to the drivers and perhaps their leader can go to the North Bus Terminal (so they can work things out),” Gealon said.
Traffic managers are eyeing the Mandaue terminal as the permanent location for the v-hires.
Free of charge
Mayor Rama said the drivers should be the ones to look for their own permanent terminal.
“It will lessen traffic in Cebu City as this translates into 40 vehicles less using Cebu City’s main thoroughfares,” Gealon said.
Gealon said v-hire drivers had to pay P140 per trip to Citilink terminal management plus another P50 to dispatchers.
In the Compania Maritima lot, the Cebu City government allows the drivers and operators to operate free of charge.
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