Rediscovering the joy of public transport

SENIOR BYAHERO

Having left the corporate world recently upon retirement, where I practically spent every day driving to work, doing errands, and on weekends, driving some more for quick getaways, I recently rediscovered the joy of simply leaving my car at home and taking the public transportation to my travel destinations.

There are many reasons behind that aside from it being cheaper than driving a car.  As a senior traveler, the chance of taking a companion on a long drive is now slimmer as most of my contemporaries have not only retired from work but also retired from adventure travels which we once enjoyed doing together.  I do not mind travelling alone, but not driving alone.  Long drives are quite tiring, especially if you are an older person.  More so if you drive solo, with no one to talk to except yourself.

Bicol Train Station

Using the public transportation as an alternative takes longer time, but as a senior, time is now on your side.  There are also discounts on buses and other form of transportations, which you usually do not get when driving a car where fuel prices and toll fees are the same for everybody else.  You may also count having one less car on the road means one less contributor to carbon dioxide emission.

There are also recent improvements in public transportation system that make the commuting experience much more convenient and comfortable than before.  In my recent trip to Bicol, I got to experience them plus some more.

PITX Boarding Gate

From where I live in Cavite, I took a bus where I got senior discount and priority seat to PITX (Parañaque Integrated Transport Exchange).  Upon arrival in PITX, I went straight to the Bicol bus counters and bought a ticket for an overnight bus to Sipocot, where I got a discount of 20 percent as a senior traveler.  The bus ticket now contains boarding gate, boarding time, and seat number, just like in the airplane.

PITX, the first ever land-port in the Philippines, has also elevated the waiting time experience.  It is fully air-conditioned, with plenty of seats, clean rest rooms and so many affordable food choices.  While waiting for my boarding time, I was able to use the public Wi-Fi, charge my cell phones at the many charging stations, and buy pasalubong for my host in Bicol.

Inside Bicol Train

The bus I boarded has fully reclining seats, foot rests, individual reading lights, and a comfort room on board.  Once all confirmed passengers were in, it departed PITX  five minutes than scheduled time.  I was pleasantly surprised that provincial buses are now allowed to use NAIAX and Skyway to avoid the at grade traffic.

After nine hours, I arrived in Sipocot, where a web mapping platform allowed me to locate the train station where I would take the train to Naga.  I got another discounted ticket as a senior when I bought the train ticket.  The train arrived as scheduled.  It was a fresh-looking train made in Indonesia, bearing the PNR and Bagong Pilipinas logos.  As soon as I boarded the train, I saw how clean it was, with operating air-conditioning units and comfortable sideway facing seats.  It left without delay, and arrived in Naga as scheduled.

My next train to Ligao City was scheduled in the afternoon, and so I had plenty of time to explore Naga City on foot.  With the aid of Google Maps, I was able to visit the city’s attractions such as the Museo ni Jesse Robredo, the Peñafrancia Shrine, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and several hole-in-the-wall restaurants recommended by vloggers serving delicious but affordable Bicolano dishes.

In the next couple of days, I explored several destinations in Bicol commuting via trains, buses, jeepneys, tricycles, and even habal-habals, enjoying the discounts as a senior citizen.  Trains and buses now leave on schedule, while drivers of jeepneys, tricycles and habal-habals were my best source of information about local attractions.  

Taking the public transportation has some downside too.  It takes longer time to reach your destinations, and you really need to get advance information about transportation availability and schedules.  Bus stops still offered those expensive but bad tasting meals, and so it is best that you buy your food and water before leaving the terminal.  And lastly, technology has created a new breed of insensitive bus riders: those who play video games or Tiktok on their mobile phones with loud audio while most passengers are trying to catch some sleep.

But these few complaints far outweigh the joy of using the public transport which has vastly improved in the past several years.  I can now arrive at my destinations more relaxed and refreshed instead of tired and stressed over long drives.  I can now enjoy the views along the way, instead of keeping my eyes on the road.  I can close my eyes, get my mind into thinking on what to do with the young boy sitting next to me playing videos on his mobile phone in full volume.  Just kidding.  Old age and taking public transport somehow taught me to be patient and be more understanding.

(The author recently retired as an engineer in an auto manufacturing company. He used to be a regular contributor to MB's Cruising Magazine. His taste for adventure has not kept him from travelling, usually via not-so-usual routes.)