A video of three vans squeezing into lanes and causing traffic has gained the attention of the local online community.
Automative publication VISOR on February 15 posted a video that showed two commuter vans squeezing another van.
“Magbigayan,” the publication said as a caption on its Facebook page.
The clip was credited to Joel Cordoba.
It has since earned 837,000 views, 11,000 likes and reactions, and 2,400 comments, with many Filipinos criticizing commuter vans, also known as UV Express, in the metro.
“Mga ungas [talaga ‘yang] UV, minsan nga, pipinahan ka pa niyan, haha,” a Facebook user commented.
“‘Di [naman] sa lahat, pero karamihan talaga, ganyan sila madalas. Puro unahan. Malungkot na katotohanan na ang mga seminar sa LTO [Land Transportation Office] ay ‘di na nagaganap sa totoong buhay… or kung hindi man… baka madaming fixer na ‘di dumaan ng schooling at seminar… or kahit na exam man lang,” another online user said.
“Dami [talaga] driver ng UV, balasubas magmaneho,” a different Facebook user commented.
Anoter Facebook user, however, claimed that the video was not what it seemed.
“Sa mga nag-co-comment na walang alam, van po ‘yan ng Travel Agency ng kapatid ko, ‘yung nasa gitna. Emergency assistance vehicle po ‘yan ng field trip. Kung mapapansin ninyo, ‘yung blue bus na dumaan sa gilid, kasama [niya] ‘yun. First aider ang sakay [niyan],” Orlando San Juan commented.
“Malayo pa lang, ginitgit na [siya] ng isang colorum na van, pero hinayaan na lang nila. Pero tumawag pa [ng] isang kasamang colorum at [diyan siya] hinabol. [Nang] bumaba ang sakay ng van namin para tumawag ng pulis, sumibat ang dalawa. Kaya hinay-hinay lang sa pag-co-comment, [kung] walang alam,” he added.
San Juan also responded to online users who called out the commuter van drivers, especially since they carry professional driver’s licenses.
“Professional driver po ‘yung nasa gitna. Van namin ‘yan at emergency assistance vehicle ‘yan ng field trip, kasamahan ‘yan [ng] bus na blue na dumaan sa video,” he replied to an online user.
“Gitnitgit ‘yan ng UV at nagtawag pa ng kasama, ‘yung nasa right. Pero nung bumaba na driver namin para tumawag ng pulis, nagpulasan. Naka-convoy yan sa bus, nahiwalay dahil sa pag gitgit ng UV bago pa ang U-turn slot,” San Juan added, referring to the van in the middle.
Some commuter van drivers in the metro are known for cutting into lanes, speeding aggressively and engaging in reckless driving behavior.
Last year, authorities issued a show-cause order to drivers and operators of a bus and a modern jeepney that squeezed into each other in the middle of a road.
LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II previously said he was disappointed with the drivers’ actions, especially since they drive public vehicles.
“What they did is unacceptable and that their bad temper that put the lives of fellow motorists and commuters at risk should not go unpunished,” he said.
