Bus-jeepney-tricycle: New normal

We’ve been talking about it for the longest time but never got around to doing it. I refer to taking the aircon bus from SM Mega Mall in Quezon City to SM Mall in Lipa City.

Riding buses is nothing new for me or my family since we regularly take the bus to Baguio City, and I’ve tried a regular bus from Nueva Vizcaya and Pangasinan on occasion.

The “tourist” bus to Baguio is simply convenient while the regular bus from Nueva Vizcaya and Pangasinan was a “re-grounding” or to remain grounded and be reminded how I lived and traveled most of my life.

Last Sunday, I had to travel from Lipa City back to Pasig City to attend the wedding of one of our discipleship group members. Normally, I would just drive our 25-year-old Montero and do the round trip.

But this time I had to make a conscious decision on several points. Drive by myself, spend P4,000-P5,000 round trip including toll, or hitch a ride to Pasig, go to the wedding and take the bus back to Lipa like we’ve always said.

It was not an easy decision. I hemmed and hawed over it for two days before deciding to commute. Habits are not easy to break, especially when it comes to creature comforts.

My “commuter” journey started Monday morning April 6 as I took a Grab ride to the Mega Mall Bus terminal along EDSA where you drive in and get off right next to the buses. I thought that I might have to look for a “window” and line up to buy a ticket but there were no windows or lines.

You simply looked for the bus headed to your destination and find a seat. I’m not sure but I got the impression that most of the buses in that bay were ALPS buses that regularly ply the southern Luzon route.

There are ALPS conductors waiting in front of each bus who also assist passengers with their bags. Most of the commuters only had hand carry bags and not boxes and cargo.

The bus I took was “elevated,” where you were higher than regular buses and I enjoyed being able to see over fences and walls and the usual obstructions that block your view while traveling. 

Once everybody is on board, the conductor starts issuing tickets to passengers while asking for physical IDs for senior citizens, students and PWDs. I learned from a fellow passenger that bus lines faithfully honored and gave the discounts as long as you show a valid ID.

Once the ticketing is done, the conductor does a second run to collect the fare of P188 from Megamall to Lipa! Any way you add or subtract it, that is only P30 more than a liter of Turbo Blaze diesel or lower than the cost of toll on one stretch one way.

I was so distracted by the scenery I never got to see when driving myself, that we were on the last gas station southward of SLEX when the bus made a pit stop as well as to turn over the collected fare from the bus.

Even though the bus drove “slow” at 80 kph because of the speed limit, the trip was relatively fast and took less than two hours (car is usually 1.5 hours) Upon reaching the STAR toll, the bus dropped off passengers at Tanauan, Malvar (along the off ramp/service road), then Lipa City hall, then SM Lipa.

After getting off the bus, I had to take a jeepney for approximately 2.6 kilometers at the whopping price of P13! The ride was quick enough not to cause me permanent neck injury because of the low roof that prevented me from seeing how far I was from my stop.

Once again I noticed that passengers would tell the driver who was a senior citizen, student or PWD. But unlike the bus, where the conductor asked for IDs, the jeepney driver had that resigned look and seeming frustration of having to give fare discounts in spite of  astronomical diesel prices.

As I got off the jeepney, I noticed a shiny coin on the road, picked it up without checking the amount and offered it to a “beggar” nearby. He declined, saying stores don’t accept them.

I looked at the coin and saw it was a real new 25-centavo coin. On this occasion, the saying “beggars can’t be choosers” seems to no longer apply. Shaking my head, I went to the tricycle stand for the final 1.2-kilometer ride that cost P40 and no talk of discounts.

The LTO should check all these tricycles in terms of road safety and being a danger to senior citizens, PWDs and especially pregnant women! It is bad enough that they have no suspensions while the one I rode was so low my head became structural support for the roof!

Observations

If, God forbid, we go into fuel rationing, buses and jeepneys will be our New Normal, especially for provincial trips. The government should pay for the 20 percent discount that drivers or operators shoulder under the present fuel crisis.

Rationalize the ayuda for public vehicles because the advantage of tricycle drivers and operators is clearly politically motivated. In this time of global crisis, that is unforgiveable. Fair is fair!

Please pray and may God save us all.

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