Cebu’s provincial government has suspended terminal fees for public utility vehicles using the Cebu North Bus Terminal (CNBT) and Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT), granting transport operators a full reprieve amid rising fuel prices and operating costs.
The suspension ordered by Gov. Pamela Baricuatro took effect on Oct. 20, replacing an earlier arrangement that offered a P50 discount from March to June before regular rates resumed in October.
Terminal administrator Ahmed Cuizon said transport operators appealed to the governor for relief as diesel and other fuel prices continued to increase.
“Tungod ining pagmahal sa atong diesel, pagmahal sa atong fuel, mao nang ni-request sila sa gobernador, and the governor listened to them,” Cuizon said in an interview.
The Economic Enterprise Council formalized the suspension through Resolution No. 2026-012 during its special session on Oct. 20. The council had initially considered restoring the previously reduced rates before Baricuatro requested a complete halt to collections.
Under the previous fee schedule, buses paid P250 per terminal fee, vans-for-hire (V-hires) paid P200 and taxis paid P20. All three fees are suspended under the new measure.
The resolution provides that collections will remain suspended until the council expressly lifts the measure through another resolution. The suspension will not automatically expire because of a review or the passage of time.
The council may reconsider the policy based on fuel prices, transport operating conditions, terminal revenues and expenses, and the need to sustain services at both facilities.
Cuizon said the suspension would not disrupt terminal operations because maintenance and upkeep would be supported by the provincial government’s overall income.
“No, it will not affect us,” he said, adding that Baricuatro had emphasized the terminals’ public-service role.
“Ang atong existence sa terminal is actually for service, it’s not for profit,” Cuizon said.
Terminal fee collections previously helped fund facility maintenance, cleanliness, security, peace and order, passenger safety, employee allowances and equipment purchases.
Records from the terminal administration showed that CSBT collected P10.72 million in taxi fees, P50.62 million from buses and minibuses, P4.66 million from V-hire parking and P2.62 million in arrival fees in 2025.
CNBT recorded P24.22 million in taxi fee collections during the same year.
The suspension comes ahead of the holiday travel season, when passenger volumes at both terminals are expected to rise. Cuizon said passenger numbers can double or triple during peak periods such as Christmas and Holy Week.
CSBT typically handles around 7,000 passengers on weekdays and 11,000 on weekends. CNBT accommodates about 2,000 passengers on weekdays and 4,000 on weekends.
The provincial government is also coordinating with local government units to manage traffic near roadside markets, which can delay buses and affect their turnaround times.
The fee suspension will remain in effect until the Economic Enterprise Council formally lifts it through a subsequent resolution.
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