Lenten rush sends crowds to North and South Bus Terminals

Cebuanos in a hurry to start a five-day  Holy Week break yesterday crowded in bus terminals for road trips to hometowns and holiday spots in the province.

With Monday, Araw ng Kagitingan,  an official holiday and Black Saturday declared a non-working holiday by Malacañang, a long weekend ahead sent thousands of residents scrambling for seats in public buses, the cheapest public road transport for long-distance trips.

Two government  facilities  were again the focus of attention.

Cebu Gov. Gwedolyn Garcia, who inspected the Cebu South Bus Terminal in Cebu City, yesterday   praised improved  services there.

She said passengers and bus drivers were more orderly.

“Wala na ang gubot (There’s no more chaos),” she said comparing it to the free-for-all scenes in previous years where some commuters would jump through bus windows just to get a seat.

Provincial Board member Sun Shimura who accompanied Garcia said, “It  has become the convenient and safe bus terminal we had hoped for.”

He said he wanted to see the same level of service  in the North Bus Terminal in Mandaue City.

“Hopefully this will happen before the governor’s terms ends  so she can leave a milestone for constituents  here in the north,” he said.

Zosimo Jumao-as, manager of the North Bus Terminal,  said services in his area cannot be outdone.

“Compared to the South Bus Terminal, we have more freedom and  fresh air,” he said.

Jumao-as, however, admits they still have problems especially in securing the  terminal in Mandaue.

If the local government demands  improvement, “then let it be. Igo ra man mi sa pag-manage,” he added.

No choice

Not all travelers, however,  are happy with either terminal.

Anne, 22, who was headed to Sogod town in the north, said both public terminals were crowded and disorderly.

“Pareho sila’ng samok (They’re both disorganized ),” she said.

“Sa South bus, mag-inilugay ang mga dispatcher sa pagbitbit sa imong butang. Sa North bus pud wala’y arrangement ang pagsakay sa mga pasahero, magdinumugay,” she said. (In the south terminal, dispatchers compete to grab the bags of passengers. In the north terminal, there’s no clear  arrangement for passengers who end up getting pushed in a crowd.)