PITX passengers face higher fares, long lines during Holy Week rush

In addition to long lines, passengers at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) are also facing long delays and higher fares as more people head to the provinces for Holy Week.

According to a 24 Oras report by Jonathan Andal, at least 140,000 passengers had passed through the PITX by 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Lines were so long they reached the second floor and an escalator had to be stopped to allow people in line to wait on it.

Tickets for air-conditioned bus rides to Bicol had run out, so walk-in passengers had to content themselves with open-air buses. They also had to wait for rides to be added.

Passenger Buboy Aguay said that he had to sell his ticket bound for Bicol after failing to secure a ticket back to Manila on Monday.

“Sinasabi nila mag-chance passenger pagdating [ko] ng Naga, pero mahirap doon kasi ilang beses ko nang na-experience ang haba-haba ng pila. Tapos ang pumipila na chance passengers, natutulog na halos sa floor ng bus terminal so ibinenta ko na lang. Hindi muna kami magkikita ng family ko ngayong Holy Week,” said Aguay.

(They told me to be a chance passenger at Naga, but it’s so hard because I’ve already experienced long lines [as a chance passenger], and many who lined up as chance passengers would end up sleeping on the floor of the bus terminals, so I sold the ticket. For now, I won’t see my family this Holy Week)

Walk-in passenger Shark Wang said that her biggest surprise when purchasing her ticket to Sorsogon was the price spike.

“Naku, nagmahal po! P1,700 na ang isa[ng ticket]. [Noong December] P1,300 lang. Pambili ko na po yun ng bigas sir, atsaka pagkain ng aso ko,” Wang said.

(Naku, it got more expensive! It’s P1,700 for one [ticket], it was only P1,300 [last December]. That’s already my rice budget, and food for my dog)

Her bus also experienced some delays due to traffic build-up in Quezon caused by road repairs.

“Pinagtatabunan lang yung mga lubak tapos yung bandang doon… sa may bandang Pagbilao, may lubak pa doon. Dapat bago mag-Holy Week, pinagaayos na nila yun,” said bus driver Satur Cañeta.

(They’ve repaired the bumps and then over there… near Pagbilao, it’s still bumpy there. They should’ve fixed all of that before the Holy Week)

At another bus terminal in Cubao, Quezon City, NCR Police Chief Police Major General Jose Melencio Corpuz Nartatez Jr. paid a visit to conduct an inspection.

He said that half of their forces have been deployed to keep watch on the influx of travelers, especially along major populated areas and churches.

“In Metro Manila, ang threat level natin ay napakababa. Wala tayong nakikita na big threat or magpapagulo ng ating komunidad,” he said.

(In Metro Manila, our threat level is very low. We do not see any big threats or anything that can cause chaos to our community)

The MMDA also deployed buses to aid passengers affected by the suspended operations of the LRT-1, while 24/7 road repairs in Metro Manila is set to begin on Wednesday night up until 5 a.m. on Monday. — Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/BM, GMA Integrated News