AS FUEL prices continue to rise, provincial buses have been forced to cut back on daily trips, prompting single mom Pearl Borjel to head home to her five children in Surigao del Sur a week before Holy Week.
Bringing along large boxes from what remains of her small business selling clothes and food, Borjel is preparing for a three-day journey.
“Ang hirap kasi alam naman natin ‘di ba. Kahit anong gawin natin panawagan, kahit anong hiling natin tulong, parang wala naman nang gagawin yung gobyerno,” she said.
With fewer trips available, fares have also increased. What used to cost P3,600 last week has gone up to P4,200, Borjel added.
“Sa amin ngayon, ma’am, ang ginagawa ni company po ay, yung trips namin, dati na apat na trips, ngayon ang ginawa namin ay tatlo lang muna. Kasi yung pasahero sa ngayon, minimal pa naman, kaya pa dun sa tatlong bus araw-araw,” explained Davao Metro Shuttle dispatcher Carlo Clavano.
To further save fuel, bus engines are turned off while waiting for passengers.
“Dati kasi nagpa-boarding na po ako ng two hours before. Ngayon, ang ginawa namin, half hour na lang yung mag-boarding,” Clavano added.
Meanwhile, to help ease the high prices of fuel, the Department of Transportation announced a two-month toll discount for public utility vehicles including provincial buses and vehicles involved in freight services in major tollways starting March 23.
Qualified PUVs may save up to P66 for Class 1 vehicles, P131 for Class 2, and P197 for Class 3. The tollways include SLEX, STAR Tollway, Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project R1 Expressway, R1 Expressway Extension, Muntinlupa Cavity Expressway, and SCTEX: Tipo-Tarlac.
It’s not just provincial buses reducing their trips; even airlines are cutting trips amid the Middle East conflict. Philippine Airlines has suspended its flights to Dubai and Doha until April 30. (ABS-CBN News)
