Buang Bus Drivers in Cebu
Last month, there was a fatal bus crash in Southern Cebu Island. Reports were that the buses were racing. I have seen this in Northern Cebu. One night, there was no doubt in my mind that the bus driver 
couldn’t stand it when another bus passed him. Soon he was passing the bus that passed him and doing it in a way that was totally unsafe.
The bus drivers in the Philippines are very good at what they do. If they were not, there would be many more accidents. However, most take chances that are just not necessary. I’ve been close to being run over by them when I’m on my walks. Just a step to the right and I’d be gone. They come screaming by me just inches away. Usually you can hear them, but not always. There was one close call in particular that I remember most vividly. I wanted to throw something at that driver but all I had was my camera. 
I’ve tried to capture them on video driving like that but they slow down. My only intent was to show people back home how they drive but I guess they were fearful of who might see it. T hey clearly slowed down.
Last year a teen age boy was killed here in Bogo town. Not long ago the bus route in Bogo was changed, forcing the buses to make more turns which I assume was to slow them down.
What bothers me most about the bus drivers is they usually go as fast as they can even when they are going to have to slow down in a short distance. There’s no point in risking lives with the pedal to the metal when you gotta stop in 100 feet.
The bus drivers pass other vehicles when they have no idea what is coming around the mountain. Winding roads in the mountains are common. Not being able to see very far down the road is common. Many times, there is nothing a bus driver could do except run the vehicle they are over taking off the road.
It is this behavior that causes me to wonder if the bus drivers are being hired out of the anti-social ward of a psychiatric ward! They just don’t seem to care about anyone. They are the biggest on the road so they own the road. People joke the biggest vehicle has the right of way in the Philippines but it is not a joke. It is true. I observed that long before anyone told it to me.
When I take a bus trip in Cebu, There is always a sign with a number on it to report unsafe driving. We all must start doing that. We need to get these buses slowed down. I don’t want to get anyone into trouble but I also don’t wish to die for the ego stroking satisfaction a bus driver gains from their impromptu races that often are undertaken on the roads in the Philippines.
There is one bus driver that Jessie and I avoid as his driving is too reckless. We’ll wait for the next one. On the trip from Cebu City to Bogo there is a gravel road near Bogo. The bus drivers seem to enjoy getting up as much speed as they can on that road. Jessie and now get off before the bus drivers get to that point and take a tricycle home. The driving down that road is buang! Its crazy!
Dear Mr. Bus Driver, please slow down! I’m not asking for a huge change. I only ask that you begin to exercise some caution.
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Tagged with: Bus Trip • Living in Cebu
Filed under: Expats Living in Cebu
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You are correct in saying the driver in Cebu are buang. Actually it happens because the LTO or the authority that supposed to supervised them are not doing their jobs. Either north or southern Cebu are not safe to travel because of these drivers. As i drive my motorcycle everyday, i keep on the look out of these buses. Better late in the office than never
I’ll leave it to you to judge which government office is responsible. I’m calling on the drivers and companies to regulate themselves.
One reason I don’t wish to get a bike is because I see these buses inches from the tires of some poor guy and his wife on a bike.
That’s not right, its mean and its dangerous.
Rusty, it is not only Cebu that drivers are crazy. that is why, I do not want to drive in the Philippines: pedestrians cross the road without care; motorcyle drivers also think they are the kings of the road; jeepney drivers thought the same; and the bus drivers are the worst. Welcome to Philippine driving. A lot are driving without licenses nor registrations. LTO are not keeping these menace off the road.
I wasn’t in Manila long enough to see any driving at all. I’ve been in Leyte once and a bus twice, that covered a large portion of the island. The bus driving there didn’t seem much better than here, if any. I don’t think there were as many buses? The children playing along side the rode as the bus drivers went 80Km an hour through the city was pretty scary. They played on the edge of the road, on the road. I didn’t see any bus races there though I would be surprised if the same kind of craziness doesn’t go on there.
I wrote about what I knew about. It was in Cebu where we recently had a crash caused allegdely by bus racing.
I’ve learned not to apply what I learn about one area of the Philippines to the rest of it as it often doesn’t apply to the rest of the country.
I’ve heard they have really nice buses in other parts of the country with sleeper areas in them? You’re free to write about other areas if you know about those. I wasn’t picking on Cebu, its just what I know.
It was in Leyte where I saw a bus tailgate a scooter driver. There is no way the scooter could slow down, he would have been run over. When I get a tail-gaiter that’s what I have always done, gradually slow down to get them off my tail. I had one guy try to run me off the road after I did that. Here you’d just end up under a 90 ton bus!
Rusty you should have seen driving in Manila…it’s crazier than Cebu. You know what I noticed as well, drivers will use their high beams all the time. Plus their tires are so thin that even a jackfruit peel can pop it and burst.
Also, drivers pass on your right if they see an opening.
Christine, u were right about animals roaming around the road esp in the towns and barrios with people walking alongside the road and will not move no matter how much you honk. Don’t forget the bicyclists.
I call what I have seen combat driving.
My first few minutes in Cebu were shocking to me. I couldn’t believe the driving. I laughed my head off when I saw a sticker asking how is my driving.
The Filipino in the van didn’t understand why I thought it was so funny. Then we came to the famous circle in Cebu. I forget the name Osemsomething… near the governors mansion. I literally closed my eyes when we went into that.
Now it seems normal to me. Don’T’ see many wrecks. First one I saw was on bus in Leyte. Bike tried to pass us while we were stopped. It came around at high speed and the slammed into a pedicab trying to turn around. He was going to fast. Speed kills.
I had someone pass on the right the other day as I was getting out of a tricycle. It was close to a very bad wreck. Not an accident. Was stupid.
Cebu is the worst driver and Cebuanos know that. Even the Cebuano drivers like themselves to be called as the king of the road. In Manila you could run fast and reckless on selected street. But in the cities like Makati and Pasig. Quezon City and other business district, that would be impossible because the Government spent reasonable number of traffic enforcers
HI Lance!
I overlooked your comment. I thought there was just one new person, and there were two!
I’m sorry I’m so late in responding! I do hope you’ll come back.
I don’t like to speak up too much about the ways of the Philippines as I’m a guest but something needs to be done about this. I amke no complaint about what the government is doing, I’m sure they are working on it.
The bus companies themselves should do something. It seems like the conductors would put a stop to it. No one likes to see someone get fired from their job but unless we report it, nothing is going to change.
I would have to stay for 1 year in PI before I’ll even contemplate driving. Well, we drive on the right side of the road to begin with. My car is manual, so I would get confused with the gears to begin with. It will be a nightmare.
Driving to Cebu City was scary all the way from my province. We have to avoid everything from people, dogs, chickens and even cats. My brother ran over 2 dogs and a chicken in 3 days. I don’t think he killed them, I looked back and they seem alright, they were walking. The chicken as well. My brother felt bad about it too, but there were just too many dogs. So Cebuanos must not eat them. My brother had to beep his horn even though he is still far away so people would move to safety. Sometimes they just glance at us and not move. My kids summed it up: “They’re either deaf, dopey or suicidal”.
Then when we got to Mandaue, I’ve never seen such packed traffic. It’s like the distance between my brother’s car and the next vehicle was 20-30 cms, I swear. One time somebody had overtaken our car so close. My brother decided to ignore him. He said it’s just not worth confronting anyone in peak traffic. 1)People had been stabbed/shot for less, and 2) you’d end up holding up traffic. He carries his gun wherever we go, but being a lawman himself, he prefers to keep the peace. Better late and get there safe. He agreed with me that only a very few seems to obey the road rules.
Welcome to the Cebu Philippines Christine! Isn’t Cebu Beautiful! The people, chickens, dogs, cats, buffallo, children, goat, jeepneys, tri-cycles etc., are all seem to be in the road! Well, this what makes Cebu so unique from other countries in the world. You must enjoy/love the country that you are experiencing because it is unique and beautiful. Here in Australia for example you can drive for days and you will not see anybody. No people for hundreads of kilometres…
The truth is Christine, if you compare the Crime Rate here in the Western World compare to Cebu! There are more crime committed per capita in the Western Countries than in Cebu! When it happens in Cebu people make a bid deal out of it. When it happens here where i am living, they hide the crimes from the media. For the sole purpose of “the tourist might get scared”. Do not always believed what you hear in the media. The media can hype things up.
Here where i am living, you can kill someone and go in maybe for 9 years and out in 6 years. In Cebu, you are probably still awaiting trials in 9 years. And if you ever get out of jail, you probably have the “VIGELANTIES KILLERS” waiting for you outside, pumpping bullets into your body. Even you already have serve your time! So, most people in Cebu are scared to commit crimes, because the punishment is way, way, way, way, way…harder than here. You get caught with 5 ounch of marijuana here, you probably get a warning and a $500 fine. In Cebu you probably get 20 years and if you survided the jail conditions. So, enjoy my BELOVED CEBU Christine. CEBU PHILIPPINES it’s BEAUTIFUL!!!
I LOVE CEBU
VIVA PIT SENOR
Hellow Viva,
Welcome to Cebu Experience!
Thanks for your comments.
Oooops, I meant to say we drive on the left hand side, you drive on the left. Mmm, it’s been a long night, I’d been blogging all night too.
I totally agree with you. I live in Compostela (one of the towns in Cebu north) and the road scene is the same. From the looks of it, these drivers should not be driving a bus at all but fighter planes! This should be a call of alarm to the LTO or LTFRB authorities to regulate and discipline these guys for good.
Driving here is hell because if you can avoid the undisciplined jeepney drivers, one way or the other; someday you’ll be hit by a speeding bus!
Jovir
The buses have new stickers with LTO numbers in them. Nothing will happen until the people of the Philippines actually call and complain.
had a friend come up from Cebu City, hopefully he’ll speak up. Girlfriend went to Cebu yesterday and the buses were racing.
Rusty! I agree with you 1 billion percent man! I am a Filifino/Australian and I LOVE CEBU! But, the first experience i ever had on a Bus was a Ceries Bus going to Bantayan. The Bus we were in was speeding man in a “very narrow road”. Houses on the side on the road; tri-cyles; jeepneys; motor cycles; push bikes; and most of all people! This bus driver’s need to slow down. There are people’s lives at stake. They must use their common sense and realised that there are people in the road, that uses the roads too. The road’s in Cebu is not that developed compared to the Western Countries. And here we are having this big “Ceries Bus Liner” speeding and overtaking everyone. It’s Crazy!!! PLEASE BUS DRIVER’S SLOW DOWN! It is not worth it! Causing an accident, either taking someone prescious life or cause’s any damage in liabilities! Please, used your common sense BUS DRIVERS!!! Philippines’Cebu is a very, very, very, very small island. And there are millions of people in that very small island. And you Buses should not be at all SPEEDING! Please do it for your own people. Because, if you dont listen to my “WARNING” the next people you are going to “KILL” could be your WIFE! KIDS! OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS! And how would you like it then? SO SLOW DOWN “STUPID”! BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!!
I LOVE CEBU
VIVA PIT SENOR
Perhaps all the drivers will take heed and stop driving like they’ve lost their minds.
On my last trip, things seemed better. But I took a different bus line.
One thing I have noticed here in the Philippines this year, is that most major incidents are involving Buses. The Hostage drama I’ve seen in the news, the Nationals from Middle east where their bus fell in Central High way, am I right? I read most news here in the Philippines to now more about the people and economy.