VAN-FOR-HIRE (v-hire) drivers in Cebu fear the loss of revenue as another terminal, this time in Toledo City, was moved to a new location.
Around 140 v-hire drivers reported losses when the Toledo City Land Transportation Terminal (TLTT) was moved to a new location on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
This came nearly a month after the transfer of the Kamagayan terminal to the Cebu South Bus Terminal in Cebu City, which had already affected a number of Toledo v-hire drivers plying the Toledo-Cebu route.
The TLTT, which was previously located beside the Toledo City Sports Center, is now along a newly constructed road by the Cebu-Toledo Wharf Road, or around 500 meters away.
The terminal was transferred since a sports hub will be constructed beside the sports complex, according to Dondon Omayan, president of the GT Express Toledo Operators and Drivers Association Inc.
The terminal is designated as a station for vehicles traveling from Toledo to Cebu and sees an average of 25 to 30 fully seated v-hire units traveling on a regular day, which is down from the previous average of 28 to 35.
Drivers are concerned about the impact of the new location on their income, stating that commuters find the terminal far.
Buses plying the Toledo-Cebu route share the new terminal with the v-hires, but unlike the v-hires, the buses choose to transit to the city proper as they leave for Cebu City, allowing them to be more accessible to passengers.
“One of the worries is that passengers who will supposedly ride v-hires are attracted to ride the bus because it’s closer,” said Omayan in Cebuano.
As a solution to the v-hire drivers’ issues, Omayan said the association had a mutual agreement with tricycle drivers to take passengers who want a ride from Toledo to Cebu to the new terminal.
Drivers expect the situation to become stable once the public is made fully aware of the new location and once the terminal is fully finished. (RJM)