SORSOGON CITY — It turns out not good when commuters, jeepneys, and vans were moved to the Sorsogon Integrated Terminal Exchange (SITEX) and loaded with additional burden, while its private owner, SM, is assured of profits from SITEX operation.
Commuters are now suffering with added burden of arriving or getting rides in jeepneys and vans at SITEX.
Commuters said they doubled up their daily fare budget and now, they are spending more.
If the passenger is from West District, he or she will have to ride on a tricycle, or take a ride so as not to be late for work.
If the commuter comes from downtown (centro), the tricycle fare is 30 pesos to 40 pesos.
Although there are jeepneys that pass from downtown (centro) to terminal SITEX, passengers are lucky enough to be picked up, but jeepneys do not travel that often.
Apart from this, passengers also struggle with their luggage, and extra fare is demanded by tricycle drivers.
Meanwhile, some drivers are wondering why the Bacon District trip was not moved to SITEX by the Sorsogon City administration.
The drivers are also complaining about the move to SITEX because they are losing to waiting buses that are plying the Bulan and Legazpi City routes.
The added burden is aggravated especially during the pandemic, livelihoods have not improved much. The fare tariff is still high.
They demanded that the Sorsogon City government carefully studies alternative solutions to the problem affecting commuters and drivers.