Riding Public Concerns in Commuting: Need More and Bigger PUVs

In photo, an older man was forced to squat inside the jeepney
(wanting to go home and perhaps been waiting for quite some time on the side of the road)
with a Panacan route because the jeep was already full
after two other younger male passengers just before him boarded this PUJ
somewhere along Bajada, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City.

Real talk, we often walk from Bajada to Lanang as
it is often not easy to find and ride a jeepney
going home to Lanang / Panacan if you wait beyond Gaisano Mall Bajada
from 3PM especially 4PM onwards weekdays.
That’s the time when more people are looking for a jeepney ride
going back home coming from school, work, errands  or malling.

Hoping the City Government could deploy buses
for downtown to the north side of Davao
to augment lack of PUJs starting 3PM.
There have been calls thru the City Contact Center and
recently directly talked to the LTFRB Regional Director Nonito Llanos III himself
asking if we can have additional buses plying the north side route of Davao City.
Praying for immediate real solutions to the commuting concerns
of the people living in the north side of Davao City
while waiting for the PHABS still has to become fully operational

We’ve only seen one Golden Valley bus so far, one time only.
Haven’t seen it again or even lately though.
What we more often see is that small blue bus from the electric power company.
It is usually empty when we get to spot it on the road. We could utilize this for stranded
and waiting commuters in the road going back to Ponciano or going to Lanang area even.
It will help greatly especially for those with young kids and elderly passengers.

What we really do see are more people mostly students and ordinary workers
walking from Bajada to SM Lanang
hoping they can ride a jeepney there going farther to Sasa or Panacan.

Appealing once again to RD Nonito Llanos III and the Davao City Government
if we can help ease this concern for more PUVs or buses perhaps
while the Peak Hours Augmentation Bus System (PHABS)
which started operation in 2019.

Seeing photos from last year posted online on social media,
people still waited long especially during peak hours
still has to become full operational in the coming years.