Bus terminals still teeming with last-minute passengers

LAST-minute passengers rushed to various bus terminals in Metro Manila to spend the Holy Week in their provinces.

According to Menardo Umali, Jam Liner terminal officer in Cubao, passengers continue to troop to their terminal on Maundy Thursday.

“We have lots of passengers but we have enough buses to accommodate them,” Umali said.

He said many passengers were hurrying to get a ride since most provincial buses would temporarily halt their trips on Good Friday.

“Our trips are until tonight only,” he said.

Amid the surge of passengers, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has tightened its monitoring of provincial-bound buses.

Edgardo Pancho, an LTFRB inspector, said they make sure that buses follow the safety requirements before travel to the provinces.

Pancho said they check the lights, breaks, tires, among others.

The LTFRB has also ordered provincial bus operators with inter-island routes to suspend their trips once a public storm signal number 1 is raised over roll-on roll-off (RORO) paths due to typhoon “Chedeng” ( international name: Maysak). AC