(2018) Big yellow bus
Long Story Short for Manila Standard
published 7 January 2018
I LEFT a package in the bus one morning. The sealed paper bag contained a present for an exchange gift “baby” at a Christmas party I had missed last month.
If I were in any other vehicle, I could have kissed all hopes of ever seeing the package again.
But since I was in one of these marvels called Point-to-Point Bus that has been plying the Katipunan-Makati route for just over a month, I figured I stood a chance.
The company that operated that particular route, DNS, is on Facebook. In its page are announcements of schedules (and, alas, this early, the end of its promotional rates). It contained a landline and an email address.
I was desperate, because the present was overdue and more importantly because the package might cause a scare. I tried all three channels: Facebook, email, phone. I described the bag in detail. I knew exactly what time which bus (yes, they have numbers!) left which terminal. I requested that it be returned to the place where I would board again, at the same time, the following morning.
I was unsuccessful getting through the landline, but the two other channels worked like a charm. Before noon, I got a private message on Facebook and an email response—written by no less than a senior vice president of the company, Alberto Villanueva Jr.—that the package had been located. Just as I requested, it would be at my terminal.
I got the paper bag, no sweat, at the same hour on the following day.
***
To say that taking public transportation in Metro Manila is challenging would be an understatement.
Topping the list of transport modes is the Metro Rail Transit 3, traversing Edsa. It poses both inconvenience and danger to the hundreds of thousands who feel they have no other choice but to take it.
The Department of Transportation assures us that the public will begin to feel improvements this year. We know better than to cling to this hope, but we will see.
And then, anybody who has taken taxis around here would say they provide neither comfort nor consolation. The units are ill-maintained: many are grimy with poor air-conditioning. Worse, some drivers are ill-mannered, rude and opportunistic.
Revulsion at how cab drivers conduct themselves is partly the reason for the popularity of transport network vehicles like Uber and Grab. Vehicles here are relatively newer and cleaner, and a higher percentage of the drivers are polite.
During the just-ended holiday season, however, taking TNVs proved equally stressful. The price surges were unconscionable, and even when you did agree to pay a whole lot more than you are supposed to, in your desperation to get to your destination, you still found it difficult to get a ride. After booking one, you had to wait many minutes for the vehicle, and on a bad day you even got canceled on.
Regular city buses, even the air-conditioned ones, are not maintained properly. Their drivers violate traffic rules with impunity. They swerve in and out of lanes. You also always have to watch out for your belongings—and must never make the mistake of falling asleep. Unscrupulous souls will try to get their hands on your bag, or worse, your body parts.
***
As bright and sunny as the shade of yellow of its body, the P2P bus is a real game changer for those of us slaving away and who feel all other means of transportation are a practical violation of human rights.
It’s pricier than the usual bus or MRT, but you will be happy to pay the premium. There are numerous routes to serve commuters from different parts of the metro. The units are clean, the seats comfortable, the air-conditioning working. You won’t feel self-conscious or even threatened if you need to take out you laptop and do some work during the ride. You can also watch shows, or movies, or read articles you’ve come across but marked “for later.”
It’s even safe enough for sleeping!
The best aspect to all this, I think, is predictability. The buses leave the terminal at a certain time, and you can plan your activities using these schedules. The vehicles are numbered. There are channels for communicating with the operator for any concerns. If you are a creature of habit or if you need to minimize the variables in your life, then this one is for you.
Living and working in Metro Manila is harrowing enough. This additional option makes the experience just a bit more bearable. Those big yellow buses are a big, thoughtful consolation to long-suffering commuters.
adellechua@gmail.com
