PH bus company launches ‘honest’ pay system

Let’s hope this experiment works out.

On Friday, bus company G. Liner launched what it calls an Honesty Bus. Why “honest?”

Well, instead of the usual practice in the country where passengers have to give their payment to a conductor, in this particular bus, they will have to put their exact payment into a cash box.

According to ABS-CBN News, G. Liner launched the Honesty Bus because of a staff shortage. It will cover the Taytay to Quiapo route, with fares ranging from PHP12 (US$0.22) to PHP53.75 (more than US$1).

In an interview with news television show TV Patrol, bus inspector Cesar Togle said: “There are so many passengers so we have to add a vehicle. Passengers understand that in this case, it depends on them if they will pay honestly or they will just fool themselves.”

A quick look at G. Liner’s Facebook page, however, shows that many in the public are skeptical.

Ernesto B. Rodrigueza wrote in Filipino: “That’s not going to work. A lot of Filipinos are dishonest, hahaha.”

Angela Amor wrote: “I hope everyone who rides that are honest [laughing emojis].”

Wrote Ruzzel Bryan: “That’s not going to last, haha. People can’t even take the escalator properly. Discipline [should be practiced] first.”

Mark Junio Mamaradlo expects that some passengers would be the complete opposite of honest. He wrote: “They might even steal what’s inside [the cashbox], haha.”

C’mon people, have more faith.