More passengers, fewer buses seen on PH roads amid oil crisis

Amid the ongoing oil crisis, authorities have observed an increase in commuters taking public transportation, even as fewer buses ply the roads due to rising fuel costs.

According to a 24 Oras report by Oscar Oida on Friday, bus terminals such as the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) have recorded a surge in passengers opting for buses instead of using private vehicles.

However, some bus drivers have opted to suspend operations as fuel prices continue to climb, resulting in fewer trips.

“Yung biyahe natin sa Batangas City, magmula sa usual na 23 ay bumaba na sa 19, at yung biyahe natin patungong San Jose, Nueva Ecija ay bumaba rin mula 12 hanggang 10," said PITX Corporate Affairs head Jason Salvador.

(Trips to Batangas City have dropped from the usual 23 to 19, while trips to San Jose, Nueva Ecija have decreased from 12 to 10.)

"Nahihirapan na silang itawid yung presyo ng gasolina sa kinikita nila,” he added.

Operators are finding it difficult to cope with rising fuel costs given their earnings.)

Salvador said PITX is also monitoring the risk of possible overloading of buses during the Holy Week rush.

PITX management is coordinating with bus operators to ensure sufficient trips will be available for passengers.

“May panganib dahil alam natin na delikado kapag overloaded ang isang pampublikong sasakyan,” he said.

(There is danger because we know it is risky when a public vehicle is overloaded.)

“We appeal to their sense of patriotism na maihatid ang ating mga kababayan sa kanilang mga destinasyon. Pero, siyempre, hindi namin ito maaaring ipilit,” he added.

(We appeal to their sense of patriotism to bring our fellow Filipinos to their destinations. But of course, we cannot demand this.)

Meanwhile, tourism stakeholders said they still expect travel to peak during Holy Week, but expressed concern over the possible impact of the Middle East conflict.

This comes after fuel surcharges for flights booked from April 1 to 15 were raised to Level 8.

“Marami na po tayong naging cancellation sa mga bibiyahe papuntang Europe, dahil karamihan ng flights ay dumadaan sa Middle East," said Philippine Travel Agencies Association President Jai Yang.

(We have already seen many cancellations for trips bound for Europe, since most flights pass through the Middle East.)

"Pero sa magandang banda, lumilipat lang sila—pumupunta sa ibang bansang hindi apektado ng krisis,” he added.

(On a positive note, travelers are simply shifting to destinations not affected by the crisis.)

He said the group continues efforts to boost tourism in the country.—Jiselle Anne Casucian/MCG, GMA Integrated News