City dad hits overloading, overcharging at terminal

Councilor Procopio Fernandez has asked the North Bus Management Advisory Board to look into the reported overcharging and overloading of public utility vehicles during holidays.

Fernandez, chairman of the City Council committee on public safety, said he had received several complaints from the public last November 1 and 2 that aside from being overloaded, PUVs at the North Bus Terminal also overcharged their passengers.

In a proposed resolution submitted to the council, Fernandez said the advisory board should discuss the matter with the operators of PUVs in order to adopt plans for an orderly accommodation of passengers at the terminal.

"Whether or not there is a great number of passengers to be accommodated at the terminal on special occasions, the interest of the riding public must be protected at all times for that is the most controlling in the area of transportation," Fernandez said.

The councilor, who personally observed such incident, said some PUVs going to the terminal supposedly to pick up passengers were already filled with people that those who are waiting are deprived of their chance to be accommodated.

"There was no order in filling up the PUVs with passengers at the terminal as there were some who just rushed into the vehicles without regard to those who came in first," Fernandez said.

Fernandez said "the protection of the riding public is imperative that proper plans must be made in situations where it is expected that the number of passengers is many at the terminal." - Garry B. Lao/LPM