DAGUPAN CITY -- The ‘window hours’ scheme being implemented by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has been causing great hassle and burden to thousands of commuters in Pangsinan.

Passengers from Pangasinan have to wait for 11 p.m. to board a Manila-bound bus because of that ‘window hours’ and returning passengers to Pangasinan have to wait for 10 p.m. before they could board a bus in Cubao.

‘Unfair and a big burden,’ said an irate passenger, a student, who detailed the taxing experience she had to go through when she went home on April 30 to catch the concluding activities in the Bangus Festival in Dagupan City.

“Napakahirap ng sitwasyon naming. Mula dito sa terminal ng provincial bus aantayin namin ang 11:00 p.m. para makasakay sa unang biyaheng patungong Manila tapos pag -uuwi pabalik ng probinsya kailangan pa uli antayin ang alas 10:00 ng gabi para sumakay uli sa terminal ng bus sa Cubao pabalik naman ng Pangasinan,” Aera Devika, a student who hails from Calasiao, Pangasinan, told the Manila Bulletin.

“Sobrang pagod ito sa amin at hindi makatarungan ang ginawa ito ng LTFRB at MMDA,” added Devika.

Pangasinensis said the scheme is unfair and a big burden to them, especially for college students and businessmen returning home.

A resident of Eastern Pangasinan who requested not to be named aired his predicament because of the ‘window hours’ scheme.

“Hapon pa lang aalis na kami sa bahay sa Tayug at sa Asingan papuntang Dagupan para habulin ang biyahe na aalis ng 10:00 p.m. sa Dagupan City patungo Manila. Doon pa lang pagdating sa terminal mag aantay na kami mula 6 p.m. hanggang 10 pm para makasakay ng bus,” said a male traveler from Eastern Pangasinan.

“Haba ng pag antay, paano may bitbit pa kaming bagahe. Pagdating naman sa umaga sa Manila, saka ka iikot sa pupuntahan mo. At ang masakit iyong pag uwi pabalik Dagupan at mag antay ka uli ng 10:00 pm para makalabas naman ng Manila papuntang Pangasinan,” he added.

The passenger said it’s not even safe when they arrive at dawn .

“May mapagsamantala, kung darating ka sa madaling araw, nandiyan ang mga loko driver na arkilahin mo para makarating ka lang sa uuwian mo. Paano kung holdap?“ he lamented.

Pangasinensis said this kind of restriction on provincial buses in EDSA is not fair, stressing that they also pay taxes which are being spent to maintain EDSA.