Editorial: Relief for commuters

On a rainy weekday night, commuters line the streets waiting for PUJs and vans to bring them home. Most of them are students who are hungry and weary, who only want to get out of the cold, go home and have a warm meal before retiring for the night. Sometimes, it takes hours before some of them could even get a ride home.
The news that the city is looking at easing the transportation woe of commuters is a welcome development.
The City Transport and Traffic Management Office reported that they have conducted a survey on the volume of commuters during rush hour or the time when students and employees go to work and go home at night. The survey identified the places where the commuters wait for their ride and where they are heading. The survey was done from 6:30 to 9am and from 5:30 pm from 9pm. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) XI also surveyed Catalunan Grande, Bangkerohan and Matina for the volume of commuters who would be needing transportation.
The point here is that at the end of a long day, people just want to go home and rest their tired bodies. It has become increasingly difficult to catch a ride especially when so many people jostle for space in an already cramped PUJ or van. Some students have to bear sitting on air or kneeling in the middle of the PUJ’s aisle just so they can be in school on time. We all know how it is to be packed like sardines with elbows poking unmercilessly on our sides.
The need and clamor for a modern, safe and convenient mode of public mass transportation in the city has never been more urgent than today. We therefore anticipate the implementation of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS) project, which is part of a comprehensive transportation plan of the city, soon. This would be a great relief for commuters.