Bus terminals shift to ‘load and go’ mode amid massive Holy Week influx

MANILA — Passengers crowded a bus terminal in Quezon City on Wednesday evening, enduring hours of waiting in long lines to secure a seat home for Holy Week.

Despite the deployment of additional units and more frequent trips, the sheer volume of travelers heading to the provinces created significant bottlenecks.

Terminal officials noted that the influx began around Wednesday noon, as many rushed to leave the city before the official start of the holidays.

To cope with the surge, bus operators have transitioned to full operation mode.

Jay Santos, an Operations Auditor at the terminal, explained they have significantly increased departure frequency to minimize the backlog.

"Siguro ma’am, 'yung dating round trip, magiging three-way sila. Gano'n, ma'am. Three ways," Santos said, noting that while intervals are usually longer during late-night hours, units are now moving faster to clear the crowd.

He assured the public that there were enough buses to accommodate everyone and that no fare hikes had been implemented.

"Hindi naman po. Dati pa rin po. Wala pong pangyayari na pagtaas," Santos added.

While many routes remain open for walk-in passengers, destinations such as Mauban and Marinduque are reportedly fully booked through Sunday.

For these routes, management is waiting for additional units before opening new slots.

For many travelers, the journey has become a test of patience. Melody Perino, traveling with her family to Mulanay, Quezon, arrived before 11 p.m. only to find lines snaking around the station.

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"Matagal na, mga 3 hours," Perino said, explaining they had no choice but to travel during the peak rush. "Kasi lumuwas lang kami para sa graduation ng anak ko kahapon. No choice, pauwi na din talaga kami." 

Despite the wait, she remained optimistic: "Mahirap pero okay lang."

Other passengers tried to outmaneuver the crowds, only to find the same situation elsewhere.

Alfonso Tunod, who traveled from Pangasinan, transferred between terminals hoping for a shorter wait for a bus to Lucena, but was met with similar long lines.

"Kasi sa daming tao dun, puro Bicol ang biyahe... Pumila ako, madaming tao," Tunod said.

Despite the exhaustion, he is determined to reach his destination. "Okay lang ako kahit maghintay ako ng matagal... Sabi ko, uuwi muna ako. Mahal na araw naman… kaya ako umuwi."

As pressure to move passengers quickly mounted, terminal management said that driver safety remained a priority.

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According to Santos, drivers are given mandatory rest periods before returning to the road.

"Kondisyon na kondisyon po sila. Bago sila pabiyahe, pinatutulog muna namin sila," he said.

As of late Wednesday night, buses no longer follow a fixed schedule. Instead, units operate on a "load and go" basis—as soon as a bus arrives and is cleaned, it immediately takes on the next set of passengers to keep the lines moving.

Management expects the volume of travelers to remain high through Thursday morning. 

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