Philtranco marks 90 years in travel, transport trade


By ARLENE DABU-FOZ


Top officials and executives from the country’s travel and transport industry will gather today at Philtranco’s main hub, the first bus company in the country, as it celebrates its 90th year today (July 6, 2004). It will be marked with simple rites at the newly renovated Philtranco Central Station along EDSA corner Pasay City.


Jose E. B. Antonio, Philtranco president and chief executive officer (CEO), will launch the program of the bus company’s Computerized Ticketing and Reservation System, Cargo Box, Green Cargo, Door-to-Door and On-board Philtranco.

The new products, officials said, will enhance Philtranco’s service to the traveling public, which also aims to promote domestic tourism nationwide.

The Bicol-based transport company, a globally competitive transportation provider, continues to innovate to help boost the local tourism with its most extensive area of coverage in the country via the "Ro-Ro" (roll-on, roll-off), its coverage of roads and ferry boats connecting Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

With the widest network set-up, Philtranco buses ply the routes from Manila to Quezon, Bicol, Samar, Leyte, Cebu all the way to Cagayan de Oro, Davao and other Eastern routes. Likewise from Manila to Caticlan, Iloilo and Estancia via Batangas and Mindoro on its latest routes along the Western seaboard using the Strong Republic Nautical Highway.

Philtranco takes pride in its 20 Gold Service (GS) buses, its extra wider and bigger land transports with service and amenities similar to that of an airplane. Staffed by pretty and competent stewardesses as well as skilled drivers, a Gold Service bus is designed to make long-haul travels very comfortable and hasslefree. Aside from more legroom and ergonomically-fitted seats, the GS bus offers on-board meals and snacks, blankets, on-board television, stereo and a toilet cubicle at the bus’ rear end.

Aside from the 20 GS coaches, Philtranco’s fleet of 370 buses include 200 air-conditioned and 150 non-air-conditioned buses. Moving over 2.7 million passengers a year, Philtranco logs an average of 200 Northbound and Southbound daily trips with an estimated terminal traffic of 19,000 daily passengers.

Founded by former Amercian serviceman Albert Louis Ammen and Max Blouse, Philtranco, previously known as A.L. Ammen Transportation Company (ALATCO), started in Bicol on July 1, 1914.

Philtranco has changed several hands since then and 40 years after its founding, ALATCO’s control shifted to the Tuason family who holds shares of the Eastern Tayabas Bus Company (ETB), a merging of three small bus companies working in Quezon’s Tayabas area.

Seventeen years later, the First Manila Management Corp. (FMMC), via its subsidiary Central Auto Bus Corp. (CABCO) now known as Philtranco South Express Inc. (PSEI), bought the ALATCO and ETB from the Tuasons.

Since 1984 to 1989, the bus company was known as PSEI. Between those years, PSEI’s senior executives negotiated for the transfer of ownership of the entire FMMC group to its managers, employees and pre-martial law owners. Thus, the group became the first Filipino corporation majority-owned, managed and operated by its own employees and managers.

But even beefed up transport biggies like PSEI traveled the long-haul routes to success via jagged economic highways. After some painful setbacks in the ’70s, the thriving bus company rebounded and charted a net worth of R34.9 million by the end of 1989.

Philtranco boosted domestic travel during the third quarter of 1986 when it launched its LuzViMinda run, a bus-cum-ferry operation linking Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in a nationwide route. This was followed by cargo truck and air-conditioned bus services.

Eight years later, Philtranco went thru changing of the guards again when the Mantrasco group bought its entirety. Mantrasco’s impressive lineup included juvenile and assertive entrepreneurs dominant in the transport trade like Johnny T. Hernandez of Victory Liner, Cesar T. Hernandez of Five Star Bus Company and Jaime E. Chua of JAC Liner, Inc.

Finally, the Jose Ch. Alvarez-led Penta Pacific Realty Corp. acquired Philtranco in 1999. As Tritran majority owner and operator, Alvarez consolidated the operations of Philtranco and Tritran and launched a top solo and dynamic intermodal transport company in the Southern Philippines via R250-million makeover and additional 80 brand new units.

Now, under the helm of Jose Pepito Ch. Alvarez as chairman of the board, and Jose E.B. Antonio as its president and chief executive officer (CEO), Philtranco is about to wrap-up its five-year, R4-billion expansion program that involved purchase of 200 German-made buses, 12 ferryboats, construction of super terminals and funding to improve passenger and cargo handling and delivery services.

In a span of five years, the new management registered prolific turnovers and drew successful flagship programs to make long-haul trips as convenient and hassle-free as possible. Last March, Philtranco bagged the Outstanding Service – Bus Line plum during the 19th National Consumers Excellence given by the Parangal ng Bayan Foundation. It’s in recognition of the firm’s excellence in providing top-notch goods and services to the public.

Three years ago, Philkargo took-off. The new concept makes for a speedy and secured vital luggage transporting cargo services. It has a capacity of two tons per bus, with a maximum transport of 352 tons daily.

Five years ago, Philtranco launched Biyaheng Pinoy to further drum up domestic travel. Last February 2003 they went on-line via Philtranco SMS (short messaging system) to update travelers of departure and arrival schedules.

In April 2003, Philtranco’s Central Station was spruced up with a passenger and baggage check-in system, a pre-departure area, fully air-conditioned waiting areas, food court, and very efficient 24-hour staff to assist passengers and maintain the safety and orderliness within the terminal.

Recently, Philtranco came up with Privilege Plus Card (PPC) program to provide discounts and special benefits to its cardholders. As its official publication, Philtranco released Onboard, the first-of-its-kind land transport industry journal.

Philtranco has the biggest and most comprehensive bus maintenance bases in the country. They can be found in Daet, Naga, Iriga, Tabaco, Legaspi, Sorsogon, Matnog, Bulan, Catbalogan, San Isidro, Allen, Goa, Tacloban, Liloan, Davao City and Cagayan de Oro.

IMO MRTs are slowly killing the Bus Transport system is metro manila...

well... I hope it would.... hehhehe... :D

we need better air.. and those buses pollute too much...:D

well... I hope it would.... hehhehe... :D

we need better air.. and those buses pollute too much...:D

actually busses are alright... But all we have in the metro are sh*ty busses... you can actually spot an unbalanced (the one that looks like it its gon fall over one side!) bus cruisin along edsa... its just plain awkward... what we need are modern, slick and lung-friendly busses

...you can actually spot an unbalanced (the one that looks like it its gon fall over one side!) bus cruisin along edsa... its just plain awkward... what we need are modern, slick and lung-friendly busses
yeah...hope that they would eliminate those buses...especially the rusty ones... :bash:

IMO MRTs are slowly killing the Bus Transport system is metro manila...
much better then, isama na nila yung mga jeep sa pagpatay ng bus industry :bash:

Those rotten buses plying the streets of Metro Manila should indeed give way to the more efficient mode of mass transport like the MRT and LRT.

But I think the provinces still need those buses, especially since the Railway system is still in its earliest stages.

What would be nice, and indeed to spur some economic activity, is to have a Central Bus Terminal for Metro Manila, like the ones they have in many places in Asia.

This Central Bus Terminal could have Northbound and Southbound sections and all bus lines could have their own areas in the Terminal. So we could have JAM Liner, Victory Liner, Philtranco, Tritran, Five Star and others loading and unloading their passengers in the Terminal.

What's good about this is that it presents big opportunities for retail operations. So SM, Robinsons, EVER-Gotesco or what have you, can be asked to develop mini-malls there as the human traffic is just amazing, especially during weekends and holidays.

It could become like a mini-airport with a centralized electronic dispatching system. I've had enough of the crude and archaic system we have now where each Bus Company has its own terminal and many of their facilities are already dilapidated.

nice idea.

There is also to much crime happening in buses. Criminals love to hold-up buses especially in Crossing (Mandaluyong) and Cubao. They should really lessen the number of buses along the EDSA route as they are the cause of major traffic jams. Send those buses to other MM routes or to the provinces.

we should have a proper bus transit system like in major cities around the world. those big buses from taiwan, korea and japan should only be used in out-of-town travel.

I found this press release

This order is for the Phase out of the old Metro Manila buses and in a older article. the phase out of the Jeepney to FX Veicles. If the metro Manila bus companies do not buy new busses i think they would be closed down by the government

20/9/2004: Chinese CNG buses to be exported to Manila

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Cummins Westport, the joint venture between diesel engine giant Cummins and Westport Innovations of Canada, will supply 100 B-series compressed natural gas-fuelled (CNG) engines for public transit buses in Metro Manila as part of the Philippine government's Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT). The buses will be built in China.

These will be the first fleets of low-emissions CNG buses to be used in the country and Metro Manila expects to have 900 CNG buses in operation by the end of next year.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was in Beijing for a three-day state visit, witnessed the signing of the supply agreements between Ching Gettman, Cummins Westport’s general manager for Asia and several Filipino bus operators, together with Energy Secretary Vicente Perez. Steve Chapman, Cummins Westport chairman and vice president in charge of international operations at Cummins, also attended.

Chinese bus manufacturers led by Anhui Ankai Automobile and Zhengzhou Yutong Company will supply the new buses. It is the first significant export of Chinese buses using CWI engines. Philippine bus operators will place their Ankai bus orders through Cummins Philippines, which has been appointed the authorised Ankai bus distributor.


Look at the Buses! Brand New!!!

http://www.ankai.com/english/product.asp
http://www.yutong.com/en/product/cpxl_fl.asp?type_2=City%20Bus

http://www.yutong.com/en/admin/bus_listsendfile_3.asp?id=189
http://www.ankai.com/showimg.asp?pic_ID=377 http://www.ankai.com/showimg.asp?pic_ID=384 http://www.ankai.com/showimg.asp?pic_ID=381
http://www.ankai.com/showimg.asp?pic_ID=378

wow! these buses are so cool! :eek2:

pero sana, maayos muna ang flood problems sa MM bago sila gumamit ng ganitong bus. kasi sayang naman kung lulubog lang sa tubig... Nevertheless, great news for everyone! Newer bus, more effecient, and less pollution. :)

More than just being new, these buses are CNG fueled buses. I think the move from diesel powered buses to CNG powered buses is more significant than just having new buses. I think related legislation to require clean-burning diesels needs also to be pursued by the government. Unfortunately, clean diesels need advanced diesel engine technology which jeepneys and automobiles in the Philippines are not equipped for. (Same with the US)

awesome. those buses are the bomb! :D i know most european cities use that type of bus, not the coaches MM bus operators use. though it does carry a lot less. that could be a problem for some operators who want big buses to ply through their routes. but these buses should be the only ones to use EDSA imo.

our buses kasi have so many seats eh.... unlike in other countries. i think tourist buses converted to public use yung mga nandito...

it's way way better than those japanese/korean surplus buses that we have now in Edsa... I hope we could see this soon!

our buses kasi have so many seats eh.... unlike in other countries. i think tourist buses converted to public use yung mga nandito...

yeah that's true. and they cause congestion sa EDSA. tapos hinde pa malinis.

are there gonna be long, extended versions of this type of bus?

It doesn't look like it from the site. I know you can get the Articulated (bus with a Rubberish Extensiton to make the bus turn easily) bus but don't look like it here

hmmm.. these are like the Singaporean buses huh... :D those are nice... cleaner buses would definitely help our pollution problem.... and Arroyo and MMDA should be harsh on these buslines.... they should really be closed down unless they change their buses.... their smoke makes our infrastructures look dirty and easily weathered....

for jeepneys I hope they would post a legislation that new jeepneys should have these kind of engines.. and then the private vehicles next....:D

I hope these buses can be equipped with card readers too, like the ones in Singapore, where they have stored-value cards that are valid for both the MRT and the buses. That way, the transit system in Metro Manila can be better integrated. I think the Strong Republic Transit system should include the bus system.

A card system would be better also so that fare disputes can be avoided. I have been frustrated so many times by fare disputes, especially now that the minimum jeepney/bus fare is P5.50. Many jeepney drivers don't give the P0.50 change if you give them P6.00.

I also think that the government should reduce the number of jeepneys and replace them with the new buses on the main routes. This would lessen traffic and pollution, and encourage people to walk more (better for our health too).

card readers on buses?... nahh.... that would be very hard... first they have to remove many buses... and they have to make very strict bus stops..... and because Manila buses become too crowded to like Indian trains with people outside the doors... card readers are hard....

bus stops are hard to implement here because there are 10-20 buses stop at a single bus stop at a time here... dami kasi nila ehh...

but then it's still a good idea....

card readers are a brilliant idea. most buses in singapore, europe etc. have those. but like pau said it will be hard to implement.

the best idea would be a "day pass" for MRT/LRT lines and buses that want to join it.

Well the good thing is that No more seperate Bus terminals for the Companies just 2 Big Intermodular Stations for the north and south

By CLAUDETH MOCON
TODAY Correspondent


The construction of the Northern Traffic Terminal in Quezon City, which will be the main transportation center in Northern Metro Manila, will start next week and its completion is expected to solve the traffic problem and boost the economy of the metropolis.


Chairman Bayani Fernando of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Sunday said the government agencies agreed to demolish their buildings that squat in the 6,800 square-meter property where the P200-million intermodal terminal project where terminals of buses, cabs, FX taxis and private vehicles will be put up near the Metro Rail Transit station at the corner of EDSA and North Avenue.


The project will include the construction of footbridges, loading and unloading bays, and comfort rooms.


Around P27 million will be spent for the footbridges in the area to connect the terminal to a shopping mall and the MRT station.


Once completed the area will be a terminal for provincial buses bound for northern Luzon and a main hub for FX taxis and cabs for passengers.


Fernando said MMDA traffic enforcers will control pedestrians and motorists to improve traffic.


“The place would be a major stopover for our commuters and this would be a good opportunity for consumer traffic for there is a plan to build a mall in the area,” he said.


He said the intermodal terminal will improve transportation and will attract more business opportunities in Northern Metro Manila.


Fernando said the intermodal terminal will be rushed to be operational before the Christmas shopping rush that usually aggravates traffic along EDSA.


He hopes that the start of the construction of the [intermodal terminal project will force the offices of Department of Public Works and Highways-Region 4, National Irrigation Administration, National Printing Office, and National Economic Development Authority and a portion of the office of the Social Security System to vacate the area.


A memorandum of agreement was signed on September 10 by the MMDA and the North Triangle Depot Commercial Corp., owned by the Ayala Group, which will construct parking lots and a shopping mall adjacent to the intermodal terminal and the MRT station.


Fernando said once the intermodal terminal is operational more than 5,000 provincial buses will be prevented from picking up passengers along EDSA.The MMDA plans to use colorful spray paints to mark colorum buses that do not have permits from by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and defy the ban.


MMDA officials said the agency will implement the Organized Bus Route (OBR) program again along EDSA before December. The OBR was introduced by Fernando last year.


As part of the reimplementation of the OBR, all buses will be checked if they have an OBR sticker distributed to the legal bus operators.


If a bus doesn’t have an OBR sticker then the driver will be asked to get a permit from the LTFRB or the vehicle will be declared a colorum bus.


Once the campaign is implemented, the MMDA believe traffic congestion caused by colorum buses will be reduced.


The fine of colorum buses is P1,000 and P5,000 for the driver and operator including a three-month suspension and confiscation of the license plates and the driver’s license.


If the vehicle continue to operate and be apprehended again, the driver will pay P1,000, his license will be revoked and operator will pay P5,000 but this time the bus will be impounded.

i wonder when this plan will be implemented? hopefully within the term of PGMA.. cuz i think within the year is too soon.. you know how people here are.. too many know-it-alls who cant think of the bigger picture.. oh yeah, i think the success of the CMG fueled buses would also depend on the fuel conglomerates.. they have to provide filling stations for these alternative fuels..

well, lets just wait and see..

during GMA's term is a very general timeline. if we were to narrow it, i'd say 2-3 years.

I really hope the CNG bus plan becomes realized soon.

I've lost count of how many old buses and jeeps I have reported for smoke belching via the "Text USOK" scheme of ABSCBN. It will save me P2 whenever I report one.:D

tell me about this Text USOK thing...

tell me about this Text USOK thing...

It's a citizens watch program sponsored by ABS-CBN. Whenever you see a smoke-belching vehicle you just use you mobile phone's SMS and key in

USOK {plate number} {location sighted} {any further identification}

i.e. USOK UFS502 skyway gray land cruiser

and send to 2366. I do this on Globe, I don't know if it works on Smart or other networks.

You can also report online or by phone.

Any vehicle reported 5 or more times is automatically reported to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and summoned by them for investigation.

You can find further information at http://www.bantayusok.com.

It's something any of us urbanites can do to help reduce our air pollution problem.

hmmm.... TXT USOK... hmmm... I have been a constant texter to this especially when we are plying Commonwealth Ave and EDSA... but then until now, I never heard of any report of a belching vehicle impounded or fined.... :( and pollution gets worse... I feel like I'm wasting my P1....

hmmm.... TXT USOK... hmmm... I have been a constant texter to this especially when we are plying Commonwealth Ave and EDSA... but then until now, I never heard of any report of a belching vehicle impounded or fined.... :( and pollution gets worse... I feel like I'm wasting my P1....

There are statistics on the website on how many vehicles have been reported and reprimanded by the MMDA and the LTO. Look here (http://www.abs-cbnfoundation.com/kalikasan/stat.asp)

hmmm... ok... well.. maybe there's just very few texters... or its just that there are more and more vehicles are allowed on the road everyday.... :(

Is that the same program w/c was endorsed before by Noli de Castro? (he was at the Senate that time). :dunno:

hmmm... ok... well.. maybe there's just very few texters... or its just that there are more and more vehicles are allowed on the road everyday.... :(

I think it may be both. :( The number of cases reprimanded by the LTO could be low because a vehicle needs to be reported 5 times before any action is taken. I think this is to deter people from using the system as a means of harassing vehicle owners.

To save on the texting cost, maybe one can use the web interface. Though that means one has to write the plate numbers down as soon as he/she is "smoked" by a vehicle.


Is that the same program w/c was endorsed before by Noli de Castro (he was at the Senate that time). :dunno:

I don't know, but it could be, knowing that Noli De Castro was originally from ABS-CBN.

Wow, the intermodal station at EDSA North Ave. will be an assurance that the long delayed Ayala North Triangle Mall will be built because there will be increased pedestrian traffic in that area.

Sweet...great news on the new buses. I agree with boybaha, on the importance of CNG powered buses. I just said a few weeks ago somewhere in this forum that we need to use cleaner powered mass transportation, i guess the govt was listening:D:D Glad they are doing this change. Plus those buses look great, especially the MAN buses:)

yeah an intermodal terminal would be a great idea... this will lessen bus traffic on the rest of EDSA from North Ave to Pasay...

i think i've asked this before, with no reply, but where is the other intermodal station? or will there only be one in North EDSA?

yeah... where would the other Big Transmodal terminal?... well... maybe for now it would be in the North Triangle... and I'd guess the other one would be somewhere in Pasay... probably near the Magallanes interchange...

anyways... long ago i've read of the Cubao Redevelopment program in parallel with the 20 year redevelopment of the Araneta Center... it said before that all bus terminals in Cubao along EDSA will be relocated in somewhere within Cubao.. I think going in New York Street....I'm not sure if this is still a go.. or not...

wouldn't it be in BGC?

nice buses!! can't imagine them roaming around in metro manila... they look too nice. hehe... but yeah, I hope it does help clean up the air. the Bantay Usok thing sounds like a really good program though....

anyway, the other intermodal facility will probably be put up at the southern end of EDSA, like pau has said. that'd be pretty cool though, once everything is completed!! you take a bus from northern luzon, go down NLEX, get off at the intermodal station in North Edsa, take the MRT-3 down to the other intermodal facility, then take the SLEX to the south. makes it so much easier. kind of an improvisation until this route can be taken by rail entirely...! that'll be the day... haha...

i hope those footbridges aren't gonna be the pink and blue ones the MMDA's been putting up though... hehe... I mean, they look fine sprouting up every few hundred meters, but not when they're all stuck together. I loved the design of the overhead pedestrian footbridges they have in Bangkok. they created technically overhead plazas, but they didn't look like they were cluttering up the area. and they can get you to and from a multitude of various points. I hope that's how this thing turns out to be. and it should connect the North Edsa MRT station, the intermodal, SM North Edsa, and the North Triangle Mall...

yeah, if im not mistaken ganito rin yung mga buses sa Singapore, sorry i never been there but napanood ko lang sa Undercover sa Channel 2..im just guessing??

i think i've asked this before, with no reply, but where is the other intermodal station? or will there only be one in North EDSA?

I think it will be near NAIA. It will be part of the LRT 1 NAIA extention station. Remember, that station will be an intermodal station so, there will be bus terminals.

Gov’t wants 60% of buses running on natural gas
By Ding Cervantes
The Philippine Star 09/29/2004

Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza said the government is likely to persuade bus operators in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog to shift to the use of locally available compressed natural gas (CNG) so that by next year, some 60 percent of buses in the areas would be fueled by the gas.

"We have already convinced some bus operators to order buses that run on CNG. We expect some 160 units to arrive from China by March of next year," Mendoza said in an interview during the time capsule laying ceremonies for a P2-billion new passenger terminal for the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark Field, Pampanga.

The government has embarked on promoting the use of alternative fuel amid the unstable cost of fuel products from the Middle East.

Mendoza said that the Department of Energy has already given assurance that enough CNG is being produced and stored at the Malampaya exploration site in Palawan to fuel the initial 60 percent of buses plying routes in Metro Manila and the two northern and southern regions. "The gas is already available and what we need are users (of the gas)," he said.

He, however, admitted some difficulty in convincing bus operators to import the China-manufactured buses especially designed for using CNG, while noting that the US technology is used for the buses.

"We still have to do some experiments here. Not all bus operators are sold to the idea. Number one, they worry about what’s going to happen to their old buses and, of course, the importation of the new buses requires additional capital," Mendoza said.

But he said that the cost of the CNG buses is from $48,000 to $50,000 which, he stressed, "is cheaper than diesel-run buses"

He also said that "in the long run it will be very economical (for bus operators to shift to CNG buses) because the price of CNG is about half the price of diesel".

Mendoza said that the program promoting the use of buses fueled by CNG will be in full blast in March next year. "We plan to have 60 percent of about 3,000 buses in Metro Manila and about 7,000 in the northern and southern regions running on CNG by next year," he added.

He said, however, that the government is also studying the use of alternative fuel such as coco-diesel for local use.

Mendoza said that the cooperation of the bus operators would be much needed to make the project successful. "What the government can do is ensure the supply of CNG and facilitate the importation of the buses from China," he also said.

bump!

anyone been on a long trip to the provinces in a bus? how does it feel like?

ayos lan kung malinis ang bus. Off course it is incomparable when you are travelling using a private car. Most of the a/c buses do not smell good. Curtains are also dirty. If you want to turn the blower, mangingitim ang kamay mo. :bash: No thresh cans, kaya nagkalat mga basura na pinagkainan. As per my observation, Jam is quite ok, ALPS - mejo ok, RRCG- ok. :)

JAM is indeed nice! Victory Liner is the best!

huh? Victory Liner is the best? :dunno:

How about 5-star? They have some nice looking buses.

I vote for VICTORY! :)

Victory Liner Is Nice! you can buy snacks and stuff on their buses. plus the Seats are wicked and just like a Airline Seat

has anyone seen the victory terminal in baguio??? very nice....

Victory Liner Is Nice! you can buy snacks and stuff on their buses. plus the Seats are wicked and just like a Airline Seat

wow does it? it most cost heaps to ride it then..

heres the Baguio Terminal

http://www.victoryliner.com/images/nbaguioterminal.jpg

There are pics of the Victory Line bus line in BluPrint magazine, the same issue that carries the NAIA3 pics. Maybe sometime I'll scan and post them.

Yes, please do:) Also scan the NAIA 3 pics.

Lucena City, Quezon has the Grand Central Bus Terminal already for more than 5 years.
All buses to the various terminals in Metro Manila as well as buses to surrounding towns (exept Batangas!!!) depart there. Also some -not all- services to Bicol and the Visayas make a short stop there enroute to/fro MM. It has Jollibee, a pizzeria and many food and pasalubong shops. Good transit for jeepneys to downtown Lucena.

Lucena City, Quezon has the Grand Central Bus Terminal already for more than 5 years.
All buses to the various terminals in Metro Manila as well as buses to surrounding towns (exept Batangas!!!) depart there.
except Batangas...waahhh!

Yes, please do:) Also scan the NAIA 3 pics.

I'll be posting the Victory Liner terminal pics shortly.

The NAIA3 pics are in the old NAIA3 thread.

Here are pics from BluPrint Magazine, Vol.3 2004 of the Victory Liner Terminal in Baguio. Original picture credits are by Ava Lugtu. Captions were copied as is from text by Rachelle F. Medina.

The main entrance of the new Victory Liner Passenger Center appears as a one-storey structure.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/ronniepoe/Victory%20Bus%20Lines/Main-entrance.jpg

Retro-1950s fins shade areas of Victory Liner's façade. Stainless steel storm drains double also as ornamental details.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/ronniepoe/Victory%20Bus%20Lines/Fins.jpg

Stone-clad main lobby leading towards ticketing area and waiting lounge features a mini-gallery of Victory Liner's archival photos of their first buses and terminals. Its exposed trusses are made of pinewood.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/ronniepoe/Victory%20Bus%20Lines/Main-lobby.jpg

The waiting lounge on the second level is an open, expansive space with exposed ceiling and columns clad in "riprap" stone native to the region. The neutral spaces are accented with large abstracts by Ivan Acuña.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/ronniepoe/Victory%20Bus%20Lines/Waiting-lounge.jpg

Full-height windows in the second level lounge give waiting passengers a generous view of Metro Baguio and beyond
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/ronniepoe/Victory%20Bus%20Lines/Full-height-windows.jpg

Stairs leading to ground level waiting lounge and busbay areas
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/ronniepoe/Victory%20Bus%20Lines/Stairs-to-busbay.jpg

The second level walkway leading to the adjacent hotel revelas a view of the busbay and the waiting lounge below.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/ronniepoe/Victory%20Bus%20Lines/Second-Level-Walkway.jpg


It looks good enough to be a destination in itself. :)

Nice bus terminal!! Thats better than a lot of Greyhound bus terminals in the US. Too bad Manila bus terminals are not as nice as that.

Thanks for the link to the NAIA thread. I must have been away when you posted those:)

wow. looks cool:okay: the building really mixes with Baguio's surroundings.

lol Manila bus terminals is like a building with a roof. that's it.

not even a building, man. They are more like metal pylons with roof:D

yeah that's true:D it's just a shed for buses, really. and maybe a place for maintenance.

The Baguio terminal looks so cool! More like a mountain lodge than a bus depot. :)
Yeah, Greyhound bus stations/terminals are crap compared to Victory's bus terminal.

wow that terminal looks good... it would have been better if they have metal seats and not plastic ones... but still its good...:D

Its more of a European type bus station than an american:D

it looks like a resthouse or something... I like the colors!

anybody here travelling north who knows what ever happened to the fate of philippine rabbit?? or is it the new bataan transit??

the cheapest aircon bus going to baguio is P235 or bout $4.50 c/o dagupan bus co., takes bout 8hrs. w/ stops. nag-canvass kasi ako eh, victory charges around 290, if im not mistaken...pero sulit naman, 6 hrs. lang ang viaje nila.

iv also seen new bus models owned by florida bus lines & partas, going to laoag city, maganda cya...

do you just sit in those 6-8 hour bus rides? or do you get to move around and maybe buy something if they're selling food? how about a movie or two? thanks im just curious

Well from My Experience Travelling to Baguio on Victory Liner. You basically sit for like 3 hrs or so while watching a movie (The movie was Species. uncut and unsensored hahaha i never imagined seeing that on the bus :P) then we stopped at a nice bus terminal were there was a little cafe and a Sari Sari store for about 15 mins. then we are back on the road and a few hours later we were in baguio. when i went there we didn't get to go to the new terminal cuz it was probably under construction so we took out A/C bus and went to the what is now the Ordinary Bus Terminal

nyay! Bus stops for only 15 mins? I thought the minimum is 30-45 mins. well...sa field trip kc ganun. hehe.

I love buses, especially the old ones. Pantranco is my favorite, i used to ride on it during my younger days. Some of my favorite are Victory Liner, Five Star, Philippine Rabbit, Dagupan Bus, Baliwag Transit and many more.

So, has anyone seen any of these new buses in MM? They said it would be soon.

That many hours in a bus, tapos 15 minute break lang? I dont think i can do that. I'll rather use a private car or train (if they had one). But compared to PNR, i'd rather take a bus.:D I remember taking a 9-hour bus ride in the US with Greyhound, it was pretty hard.

Coco-diesel is actually a very good idea to use on the aging diesel fleet and could be a cheaper in-between technology while the CNG buses are phased in. Biodiesels are renewable and have lower emmissions. Did you know that any diesel powered vehicle can use biodiesels and/or vegetable oil as fuel? There's been a grassroots movement here in the US to use biodiesels as alternatives to petroleum-based diesel because these are renewable resources and is a way to utilize the surplus grain the US produces every year. Straight vegetable oil can also be used in diesel engines with no modification needed on the engine. So you can potentially go to a supermarket, buy a can of coconut oil or corn oil and pump it into the vehicle. Right now, for the volume, it's more expensive than petro-diesel but the benefits are great: cleaner burning, renewable, and if you use corn oil, your exhaust smells like popcorn. I wonder what it will smell like if you use coco-oil. Maybe like ginataan?

Some people I know actually have converted their diesel automobiles to consume used (recycled) cooking oil. He gets his oil from a chinese restaurant so when he starts up his diesel Benz, his exhaust smells like chinese food. Sometimes he gets his oil from the local fast food restaurants. And when he does this, his exhaust smells like french fries.The only modification he needed to do was add a fuel tank heater. Vege-oil tends to harden when it's cold (cebo). But in the Philippines, this should be no problem because it doesn't get cold there.

Coco-diesel is actually a very good idea to use on the aging diesel fleet and could be a cheaper in-between technology while the CNG buses are phased in. Biodiesels are renewable and have lower emmissions. Did you know that any diesel powered vehicle can use biodiesels and/or vegetable oil as fuel? There's been a grassroots movement here in the US to use biodiesels as alternatives to petroleum-based diesel because these are renewable resources and is a way to utilize the surplus grain the US produces every year. Straight vegetable oil can also be used in diesel engines with no modification needed on the engine. So you can potentially go to a supermarket, buy a can of coconut oil or corn oil and pump it into the vehicle. Right now, for the volume, it's more expensive than petro-diesel but the benefits are great: cleaner burning, renewable, and if you use corn oil, your exhaust smells like popcorn. I wonder what it will smell like if you use coco-oil. Maybe like ginataan?

Some people I know actually have converted their diesel automobiles to consume used (recycled) cooking oil. He gets his oil from a chinese restaurant so when he starts up his diesel Benz, his exhaust smells like chinese food. Sometimes he gets his oil from the local fast food restaurants. And when he does this, his exhaust smells like french fries.The only modification he needed to do was add a fuel tank heater. Vege-oil tends to harden when it's cold (cebo). But in the Philippines, this should be no problem because it doesn't get cold there.

The only problem with the whole bio-fuel thing is that it cant be scaled up. 1 in 6 ppl are starving already, and if we scaled this up more ppl would be starving. I heard 1 acre of hemp land can only produce 15 gallons of bio-diesel per year...

That would be nice if the world had a population of 4 billion --- It would solve a lot of our problems! :)

and another thing.. most of the old buses are really small.. im a big guy around 6 feet and my legs are always cramped for space when im riding the buses..

dont get me started on the jeeps..

GMA leads rites at North EDSA Road-Rail terminals


By CHITO A. CHAVEZ


President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday led the groundbreaking ceremony and laying of time capsule of the North EDSA Road-Rail Terminals near the project site at the MRT-3 Depot in North Avenue, Quezon City.


The North EDSA Road-Rail Terminals, or the intermodal terminal, is expected to be operational next month to ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila and ensure the convenient and efficient travel of commuters, said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The project is a component of the Greater Metro Manila Transport System (GMMTS) that MMDA launched last year in its effort to decongest major thoroughfares of Metro Manila.

With Mrs. Arroyo at the rites were Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza, House Speaker Jose de Venecia and Quezon City Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista.

A joint undertaking by MMDA and the North Triangle Depot Commercial Corporation (NTDCC), the North EDSA Road-Rail Terminals will utilize a mode switching interchange of passengers from rail to road transport, according to MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando who added that the facility could be operational starting Nov. 15.

He said the project will enhance the interconnectivity among the different transport — the MRT-3, private cars, city buses, taxis, high occupancy vehicles (FXs and vans), and provincial buses plying the north route.

The terminal complex, is approximately 6,800 square meters, using an average of 17-meter frontage from the existing MRT depot.

The terminal design incorporates basic amenities, station facilities and passengers-operators requirements.

These include loading/unloading bays, parking, waiting area, baggage handling and comfort rooms.

The facility will provide ample number of vehicle slots which would serve as parking and loading bays for provincial buses, taxis and FX vans.

"The MMDA is responsible for the traffic management or the general circulation with the vicinity of the terminal. These, in turn, will produce a seamless operation in modal interchange where a passenger’s convenience is of outmost priority," Fernando said.

Fernando added that the project is part of the overall plan for GMMTS North Terminal which is the least costly in terms of financial exposure of the government, yet the longest terminal of its kind in the world, having a 3-km. expanse of Edsa, from East Avenue to North Avenue in Quezon City.

He added that the project is part of the 10-point agenda of the Arroyo administration that seeks to decongest Metro Manila by developing its transportation network.

good for our country=) HABOL PINAS HABOL!!!

North terminal nears completion

The Philippine Star 11/30/2004

Beginning early December, provincial buses will no longer have to enter Metro Manila to load and unload passengers.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) announced yesterday that the North Avenue portion of the North Transport Terminal (NTT) along EDSA is expected to be completed by Dec. 6.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said the project would not only serve as a parking area for provincial buses, but also a terminal for other forms of public transport such as buses, jeepneys and FX taxis.

Fernando admitted the project was originally scheduled to be completed last Nov. 15.

"The changes in the designs for the terminal caused the delayed in the project," he said.

Fernando said the slight setback has adversely affected efforts to decongest traffic along EDSA for the holiday season. At present provincial buses have terminals in Cubao, Quezon City.

The government is also planning to construct a South Transport Terminal (STT) and other terminals along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.

The MMDA has been receiving complaints of heavy traffic from North Avenue to East Avenue in Quezon City because provincial buses and FX taxi units linger on the two yellow lanes of EDSA as they wait for passengers that disembark from the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) stations.

With the NTT, the MMDA will be able to decongest traffic build-up around the area.

Once completed, some 600 public transport vehicles can use the terminal as parking, loading and unloading stations.

The three-kilometer NTT covers three MRT stations, namely GMA-Kamuning, North Avenue and East Avenue.

The North Avenue portion of the NTT was donated by Ayala Land Inc., which earlier expressed interest in building a shopping center inside the compound to cater to commuters. — Evelyn Macairan

Great news! :okay: At least there will be one central location for all buses servicing the provinces north of Metro Manila. Are there any available photos of this transport depot on the internet?

i also like this idea.

anyway, i have a question. what's the huge track of land at the end of EDSA? i remember the victory liner (pasay) bus i took had to turn around in what seemed to be the end of edsa before reaching the pasay station. there were fences in that area, too, and it looked like it's under development.

thanks.

wow galing

I cant find any photos of this terminal. I cant imagine how it looks like since it is 3km long.

i've seen this terminal.... it's just

a million pink waiting sheds with its own road... Imagine this, the fence at MRT3 depot... left side is EDSA NB lanes... and right side of the fence is the "terminal"

I wonder if that's a temporary solution while they find budget for an actual structure. It would be great to have something akin to New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Port Authority Bus Terminal Wikepedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Authority_Bus_Terminal)
Pictures and description: Why is it a great urban space? (http://www.pps.org/gps/one?public_place_id=115#)
PABT history (with pics) (http://www.panynj.gov/tbt/PABT50thframe.htm)
NYC Architecture pics of the PABT (http://www.nyc-architecture.com/MID/MID128.htm)

The article said the land was donated by Ayala Land. Nice move, because if I remember it right, ALI have plans for a terminal in the Ayala North Triangle Mall just like the plans for a terminal beside Market! Market!. But since MMDA wants to build a terminal they just donated the land and let MMDA build the terminal. That means they not spending a single cent for a terminal which is supposedly a part of their future mall.

well what can i say mautak talaga ang ALI

bump...

Has anyone seen these new buses? Have they even arrived yet? I really support this change since these buses are much more environmentaly friendly...plus they look better than existing buses:)

About time!!!! This Buses are much needed...My goodness....the government is finally waking up from all their bickering and one on one showdowms at the house....At least now I believe they are realizing that nothing can be accomplished and attained if they run for office just to ruin each other faces!!! (sorry off topic)

I'm actually in singapore, and I really admire how they implement their public transport sytem. Their MRT's, LRT's,Buses,taxi system are well planned that you couldnt ask for more. Strategic MRT stations are right smask next to a Bus Interchange so you can transfer from MRT to Buses in a jiffy. All 3 Mrt lines are interconnceted somwhere and it is feeded by buses & Lrt's properly so that effecient use of the MRT is achieved.

I would like to see also the route plackard system in Manila to be changed to bus numbers instead, (just like Singapore, HK, London, & all developed countries are doing). You will see like 100,101,800,851 etc... instead of Quiapo-Munomento, ortigas Ilalim, Ortigas Ibabaw, etc. Then the government will coordinate it with a Bus & Mrt guide to explain the number system. And (this is the hardest to accept for most filipinos) buses should only stop on designated Bus stops) or else traffic will still be a problem. I really hate it when I see passengers in manila that "para" right in front of the place they wanna go even if the bus had already stopped a few meters to their destination. It makes me crazy. Kesyo mainit daw or whatever the reason is. Mainit din naman d2 sa singapore, actually much hotter, but people will walk to their destination w/o qualms.

Lastly they must implement a unified contactless smart card system in the near future or if not at least when the transport system & the passengers are matured and are used to the transport system. This smart cards are the same as the flash cards in LRT & MRT but this should include all transport system or at least include the bus system. This also help bring down crime rate coz it helps on making the society cashless.

And last ulit..... :runaway:

MMDA must elect and limit bus operators in Manila to a few only so that coordination will be easy. Singapore has only 2 bus operators, and they are also the MRT & LRT operators.

This would be quite tough to implement, but they must start now & slowly implement it, or we are gonna be left behind by our neighbouring countries...

Cheers mga Kababayan....

It's good to know that there are plans to use natural gases though we have so many buses plying around the city already. Did you read about the coco-oil fuel run stove. Instead of lpg gas, coco oil fuels the stove and it minimize pollution too.

I've posted this on the Romantic Lighthouses thread but since it is somewhat related to the reduction of air pollution, I suggest that the clean-up drive along the Pasig River be completed soon. The Industrial plants should be prevented from dumping waste there and they give up a portion of the lots by the river for park development. Once developed, their property cost will rise at their benefits in the end. So it's a win win situation.

The Ferry System going to Paranaque should be revived once the Pasig river is cleaned. It's cheaper, air-friendly and will minimize the traffic in Metro Manila.

I guess Marikina beat them.

here's an update i just read a while ago... you can go directly to the last paragraph if you wish not to read the whole article :D


US experts commend RP natural gas program
By Donnabelle L. Gatdula
The Philippine Star 02/22/2005

US-based experts on alternative fuels have commended the Philippines’ adherence to clean air by advocating and promoting the use of natural gas in the transport sector.

In a seminar on alternative fuel vehicle (AFV), AFV International president William McGlinchey said the Philippines is "doing a good job with regard to the development of AFV in the country’s transport sector."

In the US we started with light vehicles which tend to slow down the growth of the use of natural gas in the transport sector. Here, I believe you are going to start with the heavy-duty vehicles/buses. This is a good step," he said.

Another US expert Greg Zilberfarb, vice president of ASG Renaissance, said the construction of a mother-daughter refilling station for compressed natural gas (CNG) is a good transition move.

"A mother-daughter station is a good temporary design since you are still in a transition period but this type is not designed to service high volume of vehicles," Zilberfarb said.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. is constructing a P350-million mother daughter CNG-refilling station in Batangas and along the South Luzon expressway.

Shell is a member of the Royal Shell Dutch Group which owns Shell Philippines Exploration Corp. (SPEX), a major operator of the $4.5-billion Malampaya deep water-to-gas power project.

ASG Renaissance chief executive officer Lizabeth Ardisana, for her part, noted the Philippine government’s effort to provide necessary incentives to both public and private entities to be able to promote the use of alternative fuels in the transport sector.

"Based on our experience in the US, it is not a technical issue but only a political issue. It is good that the Philippine government is able to work out initiatives such as giving out a particular discount on natural gas as against diesel for a period of time," she said.

The presentations of the three US experts/consultants on alternative fuels are the highlights of the technical seminar jointly sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) under the Sustainable Energy Development Program (SEDP).

A major component of the SEDP is the Philippine Clean Cities Program (PCCP), which aims to improve the quality of air in key cities nationwide by promoting the use of alternative fuel sources like natural gas, biodiesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or auto gas and fuel ethanol in the transport sector.

It is patterned after the Clean Cities International initiated by the USDOE in major urban centers in the United States and in other countries as well.

There will also be a hands-on training for personnel who will maintain nearly 70 Chinese-made buses powered by CNG. The buses, expected to arrive in June 2005, were bought by local transport companies to replace their existing fleet plying the Manila-Batangas route.

Of course in the long run the use of cng buses will be helpful in alleviating the pollution problem and would prove cost-effective. its shocking the amount of particulate that's release into the atmosphere by diesel engines and until the now the government has not stepped in. The cost to society are costly in terms of all lung diseases that people suffer, the detrimental impact on the quality of life, and of course for SSC forumer's interest how this ever-present soot affects the buildings giving them a drab, greyish look.

I think many on these forums would probably cite your last example as the most deleterious effect of diesel fueled buses. :tongue2:

I have always thought that something that's holding Manila (or even the whole country) back is that there is no main city bus line. Manila is already gaining in the subway department which is EXCELLENT but it would be so nice to have a bus line with routes and stops so it'll be more organized, cleaner and a better sight as well as catering to the needs of the citizens and tourists.

Back in the Marcos era i heard that there is a gov't run bus company called Manila Transit Corp or something? what happened to that?

Yes. The MMTC had a fleet of aircon (LoveBus) and non-aircon buses. They also operated a small fleet of double decker buses that plied EDSA. After 1986, they slowly died away and I believe their assets were sold to individual private bus companies.

I remember having a map, or at least seeing one, with "Love Bus" routes on it :D

thanks for the news tyronne.... must wait till june then ;)

lol.. new buses are very good news for the filipino commuters and drivers as well.

This is what excites me most ----- The Ferry Boat Ride down Pasig River to Laguna Lake...gush, gush

6 firms eye Pasig River ferry service
Inquirer News Service

SIX PRIVATE companies are interested in running ferry services along the Pasig River once the government completes the construction of 13 boat stations from Manila to Marikina City.

Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin said the national government would finance the construction of the 13 ferry stations, but would leave the ferry operations to the private sector.

Building each station would cost between P3 and P4 million, she said. The government would charge ferry operators a fee each time they dock at the stations. This early, there are plans to put up stations all the way to Laguna Lake.

"We will not repeat the mistakes of the past. The previous ferry projects were designed to fail," said the budget chief. The government is now on its third attempt to revive the ferry system.

Boncodin, Transport Secretary Leandro Mendoza and a representative of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando signed a memorandum of agreement Wednesday to launch the ystem, one of the priority projects of the Arroyo administration.

"There are six groups interested in the ferry project. But we would know the final list by next month," said Transport Undersecretary Agustin Bengzon.

He said interested parties would have to invest about P5 million for each vesselthat plies the Pasig River.

Mendoza said the government would provide incentives to ferry operators such as exemptions from franchise fees and other charges. The operators could also qualify for import tax and tariff exemption.

Bengzon said the Pasig River ferry stations could be operational by the end of the year.

The stations would be equipped with amenities like air-conditioning, comfortable waiting areas, a ticketing system, scanners and metal detectors, comfort rooms, vendo machines and elevators for the disabled.

Reviving ferry services along the Pasig River would provide an alternative mode of transport and help decongest the traffic-choked roads of Metro Manila.
http://news.inq7.net/metro/index.php?index=1&story_id=11645

http://news.inq7.net/metro/index.php?index=1&story_id=25538

Please let's forget about buses for a moment and think of ways to decongest the traffic. I'm so excited about the Pasig Ferry. I hope it will be up and running before the year ends. The cheapest and safest means of transportation is by ship. Aside from the fact the it's less polluting, it will also decongest highway traffic. The second most efficient is by train. We used to have the best UK-designed railways in SEA that connected Luzon all the way up to Baguio and the Eastern Bicol Region. Too bad the system deteriorated and was later on abandoned. I guess the officials learned their lessons and now see things clearly, like a splash of cold water.

Imagine.... taking a Ferry Ride by sun down to Laguna lake after a hard days work will definitely feel calming and relaxing especially when the summer breeze cools you down. Just be sure to stay inside during the rainy season.

cant wait to see the ferries!!!

hope that the project succeeds! :)

wow revival of the Pasig River Ferries... now that's a good development and I hope this will be successful..... anyways.... this should have been made as a separate thread to the Buses... :D

:cheers: Indeed, time for a transportation thread, or if there is one bump it up.

But since sandrin has post it, I'd like to say that ferries, like double decker buses hits two birds with one stone. You give the tourists something to move around MM with (Rockwell to Intrams, etc. etc. ) and the Manilenos etc. can now go from one end of the Pasig to another without plying the roads.

buhbye heavy metro-traffic.. hello alternatives.

Hopefully the new ferries will survive unlike the last one which went bankrupt. Something about many people not wanting to pay enough for the service specially when they get seasick in the rain.

The CNG busses will be running to Calabar zone initially. I'm very sure there will be no EDSA or inner MetroManila buses using this until the pipeline is built from SPEX Batangas. While Nat. Gas is the prince of fossil fuels in terms of expense and cleanliness It'll take time to build the infrastructure to distribute Nat. Gas which is a not an easy fuel to transport. Most of the infrastructure in the states and Japan which uses a lot of this is through pipelines, the current pipe to pandacan accomodates liquid white products and not gases.

LPG is another matter if they legislate the utilities to use it as in Hong Kong.

The new ferries will be air-conditioned complete with stations, restaurant, security scanner, a restaurant, tv, and bathroom.

The ferry will be groundbreaking. They should really make this happen and develop it into what we've been talking about like:

- a method of city transportation for citizens and tourists
- develop the ferry into something like what cities around the world have where there's ferry service that's also an attraction and the surroundings are developed and maintained to make all the places a big attraction site like the ferry/river routes in Mexico City, Baguio and San Antonio, Texas, USA.

but also for the ferry to be a way to reduce pollution by being a way of easing the traffic.

This is the "Buses for Metro Manila" thread so it's funny how this topic came up suddenly. And I mentioned earlier about Manila having a real bus line with first rate buses and fare and routes/stops, it really should happen just like how the major cities of the world (ie. London, Tokyo, etc) have their own line that's linked with the subway system.

ThisFire

Doesn't the major stations in our mass rail system already have intermodal stops for jeepneys and buses? There are some benefits in having multiple bus operators, as opposed to one big one. I guess the price varies, and they cannot just raise their prices without fear of losing passengers to the competition. I reckon there should be some limit to how many buses an operator can use in a route, if that hasn't been regulated yet. Or a single type of buses, except with different operators (natural gas-powered ones for all, different liveries and colours)

Baguio had ferry river routes? :? I didn't see no large masses of water in Baguio, except for Burnham Park's man-made lake:D

Manila, pre-WWII had a pretty well-developed water transport system. Not only did boats ply the Pasig, but there was actually a network of canals, a la Venice, throughout the city. If you read old novels like Rizal's works, you get a sense that merchants plied the city's canals to sell their wares on floating markets.

Please stay in-topic regarding the new buses. Renell made a thread on water transportation already.

So initially, the CNG buses will operate to Calabarzon...will they later introduce MM (especially EDSA) inner city routes to replace existing buses?

Replacing our old buses is a very good news...
But we are missing the point, that our government doesnt enact a law to control the number of operators we are still gonna end-up congesting the place. Most operators right now in MM are I could say small time...I say this beacuse all of them just buys all those converted 2nd-Hand Buses from Japan and just barely having enough earnigs to properly maintain their buses. If the government controls the licensing of operators, each operator will have a sizable area to operate, enough for them to have proper income, then chances are they are gonna make their bus drivers salary based instead of Boundary based income. As a result the bus drivers wont be acting like maniacs on the streets coz they dont have to fight off competition on the streets just to eat for the day. (Singapore system is this way, thats why u will see bus drivers here are very much behaved. But dont get me wrong they do have a time limit to reach the Bus interchange point where they need to terminate and return to the original bus interchange where it came from, this way the drivers cannot abuse the system that they will just sit it out somewhere and have salary for the month.)

Atienza should start a tour bus of sorts plying the Roxas Blvd area and around the reclaimed lands of Manila bay. An open air double decker bus would do. By the way I like the extended golf carts that seat around 8 - 10 people plying the baywalk area. For 20 pesos you can have a ride up and down the boardwalk. I did this and took some movies to show to my sisters. Fun ride.

Atienza should start a tour bus of sorts plying the Roxas Blvd area and around the reclaimed lands of Manila bay. An open air double decker bus would do. By the way I like the extended golf carts that seat around 8 - 10 people plying the baywalk area. For 20 pesos you can have a ride up and down the boardwalk. I did this and took some movies to show to my sisters. Fun ride.

it was the year 1987 when i first ride the double decker buses of Manila and it was in luneta, sana ibalik nila ulit yon, kaya lang sobra air pollution ngayon compare dati kaya open yong deck ng double decker buses noon.

But the City of Manila itself doesn't have a lot of reclaimed land. Most of the reclaimed areas we're talking about are in Pasay and Paranaque where Atienza doesn't have any authority. So it ought to be an inter-city project.

i heard over the radio that there will be like 200 new buses that run on the alternative fuel that will be deployed sometime in the last quarter of this year.. i hope that it pushes through..

and then at the same time, the older buses that run on diesel will finally be put to rest..

You mean "Natural Gas" buses?

yup i believe thats the one

good, we have lots of Natural Gas reserves here, so we better make use of them now that imported oil prices are rising.

good, we have lots of Natural Gas reserves here, so we better make use of them now that imported oil prices are rising.

How much is a gallon of gas there na ba? Here I pay around $2.52/gallon for Chevron Plus. Ang taas lalo pang tataas siguro kasi summer time is coming up.

Ive heard the Philippines, China and Vietnam have plans of exploring natural gas and oil in the Spratly island chain.

^ speaking of those buses & transpo issues, india has been using them for so long alrdy. & construction of their first metro is now underway, vietnam is also finalizing their plans & they set to build their own subway in hochiminh sooner. :)

Speaking of Natural Gas, can Natural Gas be used as a substitute for LPGs?
I mean, is there such thing as "Liquified Natural Gas" that can be used for cooking just like the LPGs?

hhaaaayyyyl..... I hope that they do replace our worn out, highly polluting buses.... I hope that our government has the political will to do so.... because taking them to rest would hurt the bus sector because it will be costly for them to buy new buses.....

I wish that the transportation control be returned to the government just like the time when we still have the Love Bus around.... unlike now na kanya kanya sa buses.. di organized.... buses have become too commercialized....

I happened to Find this proposal that i guess all of us missed since its dated March 6

New Metro bus system eyed
CHITO CHAVEZ, Manila Bulletin (06 Mar 2005)

MANILA, PHILIPPINES: The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is now studying a new bus system that would regulate the operation of buses in Metro Manila’s main thoroughfares.

MMDA Vice Chairman Cesar Lacuna said they are now looking into the possibility of implementing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a scheme being practiced in other countries such as China, Japan and Colombia.

The project, which is being pushed by the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAIAC), is also being endorsed by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Feliza Gozun.

"BRT could provide a win-win solution to mass transit problem in Metro Manila,’’ Lacuna said.

Under the proposal, a bus fleet to be put up by a consortium would operate its vehicles along the major roads to be approved by the MMDA, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

Lacuna explained that the proponents seek "exclusive’’ BRT routes along the inner lanes of the major thoroughfares, while loading bays will be located on the center-island to serve the commuters.

"Since all buses are left-hand drive and their doors are located on the right side, buses on the BRT route will traverse their designated lanes on a counter-flow basis,’’ Lacuna said.

Proponents will have to construct pedestrian overpasses to provide access to the loading bays at the center-island.

Proponents said the system is cheaper compared to other modes of mass transport like the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit, and could work even without building additional road lanes, which is expensive for the government.

MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno said the MMDA has not yet given its approval to the project, saying further study is still needed.

thats a great find ewh1!!!

i really hope that the system would push thru... there's nothing but anarchy in the current system..

hmmmm...... I'm thinking of how it would look like along EDSA..... hmmmm...... a mob in the center island..... with the long line of buses..... hmmm.... welll as long as that inner lane is properly separated from private vehicles... it may work...

I hope that each bus would be numbered and would take different routes and not all of them plying EDSA all the way through...

:eek: NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!:rant::rant::rant: Jakarta currently has that system and i dont think it will work well in Metro Manila! A BRT will only close off one lane of traffic causing more traffic mayhem! I'm definitely opposed to this proposal. The construction of MRTs is MUCH MUCH MUCH better....they will really regret "saving" by opting to use a BRT over MRT.

What i would rather like to see is the change in the salaries of bus drivers. The reason why bus drivers stop in the middle of the road to get passengers is because their salaries is based on how many passengers they can get. This is their incentive from their operators. A better system would be a fixed monthly or weekly salary so that they (the bus drivers) do not need to compete to gather passengers in the middle of the road. They will be more diciplined and stay to the right of the yellow line and stop at designated bus stops.

:eek: NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!:rant::rant::rant: Jakarta currently has that system and i dont think it will work well in Metro Manila! A BRT will only close off one lane of traffic causing more traffic mayhem! I'm definitely opposed to this proposal. The construction of MRTs is MUCH MUCH MUCH better....they will really regret "saving" by opting to use a BRT over MRT.

What i would rather like to see is the change in the salaries of bus drivers. The reason why bus drivers stop in the middle of the road to get passengers is because their salaries is based on how many passengers they can get. This is their incentive from their operators. A better system would be a fixed monthly or weekly salary so that they (the bus drivers) do not need to compete to gather passengers in the middle of the road. They will be more diciplined and stay to the right of the yellow line and stop at designated bus stops.

Amen to that!!!! In that matter im reposting this....

Replacing our old buses is a very good news...
But we are missing the point, that our government doesnt enact a law to control the number of operators we are still gonna end-up congesting the place. Most operators right now in MM are I could say small time...I say this beacuse all of them just buys all those converted 2nd-Hand Buses from Japan and just barely having enough earnigs to properly maintain their buses. If the government controls the licensing of operators, each operator will have a sizable area to operate, enough for them to have proper income, then chances are they are gonna make their bus drivers salary based instead of Boundary based income. As a result the bus drivers wont be acting like maniacs on the streets coz they dont have to fight off competition on the streets just to eat for the day. (Singapore system is this way, thats why u will see bus drivers here are very much behaved. But dont get me wrong they do have a time limit to reach the Bus interchange point where they need to terminate and return to the original bus interchange where it came from, this way the drivers cannot abuse the system that they will just sit it out somewhere and have salary for the month.)

Now that i think of it.. Isn't EDSA basically a BRT route? it has "exclusive" bus lanes.. and now we hear that they are making Bus Stations on it and deviding the lanes with Metal Barriers.

Exactly!!! :yes::yes::yes: @ olineil's post

I still believe EDSA and major roads have enough space for private cars and busses to operate without major traffic bottlenecks. It is really because of the buses that stop in the middle of EDSA that causes traffic congestion. The pink MMDA fences dont work, and many people who pass through EDSA can obviously see that they dont work! It is really how bus operators work that will change things.
And yes, the bus drivers should have a proper contract that motivates them to actually work and pick up passengers with a monthly salary. MMDA and the bus operators need to solve this problem by looking at the roots of the issue, not placing stupid physical barriers which bus drivers can still "cheat". Does MMDA really think bus drivers are stupid??

So with clean buring natural gas buses that stop and operate to the right side of the yellow line in a single file matter, traffic flow in EDSA would be sooo much smoother. It will also be a better sight because there is less pollution and the buses will be operating in an organised, single file matter. There will also be less accidents because the bus drivers dont need to drive insanely to get to the next crossing to drop and pick up passengers.

yeah.. a regular pay for drivers would discipline these drivers... there are some bus contractors that does this and their service is very good.... and yes... the LTO should regulate the number of vehicles on the roads (all not only PUVs)

After riding the nice buses and trams in australia, nakaka depress ang buses natin dito. Anyway at the very least I hope they do not polute and force them to use lpg if they can't use cng.

Lotilla hails NDC involvement in ethanol program
By Donnabelle L. Gatdula
The Philippine Star 04/26/2005

Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla has lauded the 40 percent equity investment in the proposed fuel ethanol project in San Carlos, Negros Occidental by the state-owned National Development Co. (NDC), in joint venture with Bronzeoak Philippines.

The joint venture company, San Carlos Bio-Energy Inc. (SCBI), will develop and operate an integrated facility for ethanol production in San Carlos City in Negros. Bronzeoak will control the remaining 60 percent of the joint venture.

Lotilla said SCBI and the fuel ethanol project will support the government’s National Fuel Ethanol Program, which aims to develop and utilize bioethanol fuels.

"Promotion and widespread utilization of ethanol and other biofuels as alternative transport fuel would certainly help the transport sector mitigate the impact of rising oil prices," Lotilla said.

Aside from developing alternative fuels, the SCBI ethanol project will enhance the viability of the local sugar industry and help in alleviating the plight of the sugar farmers, Lotilla added.

"We are developing our indigenous energy resources, particularly renewables, and at the same time expanding the market for our sugar," Lotilla said.

The government’s ethanol program aims to intensify the use of biofuels in the transport sector by blending a minimum of five percent bioethanol fuel into all gasoline-fed motor vehicles and a minimum of one percent biodiesel into all diesel-fed motor vehicles.

Ethanol is an alternative energy resource produced from crops such as corn, grain sorghum, wheat, sugar and other agricultural feedstocks. It can be used as a transportation fuel in three ways – as a blend to gasoline, a component of reformulated gasoline, or a primary fuel with gasoline as blend.

The SCBI integrated facility will reportedly have a cane milling plant with a through-put capacity of 1,500 metric tons of cane daily and a co-generation power plant that will have a production of about nine megawatts. It has likewise a distillery plant which will also produce 100,000 liters of bio-ethanol a day.

The National Fuel Ethanol Program encourages private entities to invest in the production of biofuels and distribution of biofuel blends.

The government is aiming to enhance the country’s energy self-sufficiency level to 60 percent by 2010.

While the transport sector is still heavily dependent on imported oil, the country has steadily reduced its reliance on imported oil as energy source. Last year, the DOE spearheaded the introduction of coco methyl ester (CME) as an alternative transport fuel.

DOE is now preparing for the launch of the compressed natural gas (CNG) project as fuel for the initial 200 buses which will ply the Manila-Batangas route later this year.

Lotilla said the program will be expanded to 3,000 buses in the next 18 months.

Intermodal transport terminal to rise in QC

Posted 10:21pm (Mla time) May 27, 2005
By Tarra Quismundo
Inquirer News Service

BENT on showing it could work amid controversy, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) yesterday sealed a deal for a multi-million peso project that would create an organized transport terminal on Edsa.

The agency yesterday forged an agreement with private company New San Jose Builder's Inc. (NSJBI) to begin construction of the North Road Rail Station Phase 2, a project that would complete an intermodal transport facility for northern Metro Manila.

Through a Memorandum of Agreement the MMDA signed with NSJBI yesterday afternoon, the agency has been allowed to use a 7,100-sqm property leased to the firm for the construction of a sprawling transport terminal.

To settle any legal problem that may ensue, the MMDA said the project had been approved two years ago by the Metro Manila Council, the agency's policy-making body, through Resolution No. 03-07.

Working as a team

"I trust in living the concept of working as a team. My colleagues in the MMC will always see the MMDA as a partner in the search for the best formula to manage traffic in the metropolis," MMDA Chair Bayani Fernando said in a statement.

The project, which the agency estimated may cost at least P25 million, would begin in July. It is expected to be completed early next year.

The terminal would be built near the North Avenue Station of the Metro Rail Transit.

What happened to the plan to get rid of the poluting buses with more enviroment friendly buses?

i think those buses are coming later this year. and they are for provincial operations.

Those buses will be for Manila Batngas routes first, for MM I think realistically several years down the line pa iyan.

..... how about the ones plying MM? I reckon it should be priority, get our capital region pollution levels down

taken from inq7.net

Personalities endorse coco-biodiesel in TV commercial
Posted: 7:54 AM | Jun. 10, 2005

BAGUIO CITY -- Congressman and TV program host Juan Miguel Zubiri, actor Joel Torre and broadcaster Ernie Baron have given their services for free for a 30-second video to be shown on TV to promote alternative fuels.

A 10-minute educational video will also be viewed soon in the more than 200 buses that run on compressed natural gas.


Alternative or indigenous fuels include CNG, coco-biodiesel and ethanol fuel.

Zubiri said, "It's just that the idea [of using alternative fuels] is an advocacy of mine and I wouldn't mind selling the idea to the people."

In the video, the young congressman drives a CNG-powered bus and talks about the benefits of switching to alternative fuels.

"This is the wave of the future," he said. "Oil prices will soon be selling for $100 a barrel. We will surely run out of fossil fuels. We need to find alternative fuels now."

"As it turns out, our fuels will be planted in soil," Zubiri said, citing ethanol, which is produced from sugarcane and sorghum, and targeted for gasoline-powered engines, and coco-biodiesel.

Zubiri is the author of a bill in the House of Representatives that seeks to promote use of renewable energy.

He noted that his travel-oriented TV magazine show, "Team Explorer," ad also explored renewable energy. "I remember someone saying that anybody who invests in the future now will win," he said.

Divina Chingcuanco, country director of the sustainable energy development program, said: "We have many strong advocates in the entertainment industry. And we are aware of the strength of the entertainment industry in getting people interested in alternative fuels." With INQ7.net

Shell to open first CNG facility


Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. is scheduled to open today the country’s first ever compressed natural gas (CNG) mother refuelling station in Tabangao, Batangas and its daughter station.


The facility is expected to benefit an initial fleet of 200 CNG-fed public utility buses.

The project is Shell’s response to clamor for cheaper alternative fuel which is also environment friendly. It means to supply public transport buses with natural gas produced by the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project offshore under the government’s Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT).

The NGVPPT was launched by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in October 2001 to enhance energy supply security in the transport sector by using natural gas as alternative fuel.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (Pilipinas Shell) signed a supplement to the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Energy (DoE), which finally paved the way for the offering of CNG for public utility buses. The supplement indicated the final negotiated CNG price for the first 200 buses for a period of seven years.

CNG would be available at a fixed price of R14.52 per cubic meter for the next seven years in a bid to spur the use of the alternative fuel in the transport industry.

When the CNG stations start to operate, the Malampaya natural gas will be compressed into cylinders at the CNG mother station in Tabangao, Batangas. From there, the CNG will be transported by land to the daughter retail station in Biñan, Laguna located along the northbound lane of the South Luzon Expressway.

Some 70 gas powered provincial buses which are expected to ply the Batangas-Manila and Manila-Batangas routes shall be the initial fleet of buses to be served by the CNG stations. The CNG-powered buses mark the first non-power utilization of the Malampaya natural gas.

Source (http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2005061236750.html#)

Wow! this is really a good news! CNG buses would greatly help in reducing air pollution in the metro. Although for now it's only in the experimental stage, I'm sure Filipinos can adapt easily.

taken from inq7.net..

Compressed Natural Gas-run buses launched

First posted 12:52pm (Mla time) July 01, 2005
By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQ7.net



Get INQ7 breaking news on your Smart mobile phone in the Philippines. Send INQ7 BREAKING to 386.


PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched the first commercial bus using indigenous compressed natural gas (CNG) -- the government’s answer to the surging prices of oil.

The buses will be powered by CNG, which will be sold at 14.50 per liter for the next seven years, 50 percent lower than diesel, which is 29.50 per liter, according to Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla.

The President, together with energy officials, members of the media; Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland; officials of Cummins Westport, the manufacturers of the CNG engines; and the Chinese delegation, Cummins' partners in manufacturing the CNG buses, took the inaugural ride to Luneta then back to Malacañang.

Lotilla said he expected the lower fuel cost to translate into lower bus fares. He added the use of this type of gas would also contribute to cleaner air.

“With the fuel cost much lower, relative to diesel, we expect they will be passing on the benefit to the passengers through lower fares,” he

said in a news briefing in Malacañang.

The gas will be available initially at the Shell station in Mamplasan, Biñan town, Laguna province.

At least 200 CNG buses will ply the Manila-Batangas route starting in August. In the coming days, CNG buses will also be seen in Metro Manila, Lotilla said.

Homer Mercado of HM Transport Inc., one of the six accredited importers and operators of CNG buses, said each bus costs about four million to six million pesos. He says he owns 80 CNG buses.

great news! I hope these new buses will catch on in Metro Manila and around the rest of the country so the dirty old buses that are widely in use now can finally be phased out...

At least 200 CNG buses will ply the Manila-Batangas route starting in August. In the coming days, CNG buses will also be seen in Metro Manila, Lotilla said.



I could hardly wait to see those new buses running! I am so excited.

Magandang news ito. I hope this is the start of changing all the buses and jeepney in manila so that we will not have any more pollution.

Tingnan niyo kahit ang laking gulo umurong pa rin tayo.

Mabuhay.

great news! I hope these new buses will catch on in Metro Manila and around the rest of the country so the dirty old buses that are widely in use now can finally be phased out...

& so the smoke belcher jeepneys & FX na bulok will suffer the same fate too :)

MMDA readies new EDSA bus scheme
By Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star 07/26/2005

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is readying the full implementation of a modified Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme along the entire 24-kilometer stretch of EDSA.

The system is expected to solve much of EDSA’s traffic problems since it will significantly lower the number of buses allowed to ply their routes.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said the OBR will also bring down pollution levels around the major thoroughfare.

He noted that there are just too many buses plying EDSA — some 3,000 units daily — even on holidays when there are not that many commuters.

The OBR, Fernando explained, will control and regulate the flow by allowing only a certain number of buses to use EDSA at specific days and times of the day.

Under the scheme, passenger buses, both airconditioned and non-airconditioned units, will be controlled and monitored on a terminal-to-terminal basis.

"The number of buses will depend on the volume of passengers in need of them. This will ensure that the buses on the road will not have empty seats," he said.

Fernando said he believes the OBR scheme will benefit everyone, including bus operators, since they stand to earn more at a faster pace.

Buses, he said, usually have to make three to four rounds in order to reach a targeted amount of earnings for a day.

With the OBR, a bus will be allowed to ply its EDSA route for the day once or twice, but with all of its seats occupied because of less competition.

"Mga one or two rounds, quota na," Fernando said.

Less buses on EDSA, the MMDA chief noted, will result in less pollution and less fuel consumption.

Fernando said EDSA’s buses spend some P266,000 on fuel for each unit yearly. This excludes maintenance costs and other expenditures.

The OBR scheme is the only MMDA project that has not been branded as illegal by a recent Makati City Regional Trial Court decision.

Fernando said the scheme will soon go into full swing following a dialogue with bus operators to inform them of the mechanics and finalize schedules.

Good Luck to us all using EDSA.

I don't know what will Happen to GMA but I hope they keep Bayani, for all my disagreements with what he does sometimes, I think he does a good job.

HMMM... so how will the OBR be? I saw in the news of the new CNG buses that was just delivered... would this still be used?

well.. I hope this will indeed push through and would really help in the situation of EDSA... and I hope Commonwealth Ave will have the same soon....

if this works out even half as well as BF has planned, he will be worshipped as a minor god here in manila.. hahahahaha.. lets hope that all the bus drivers/operators would give this a chance and follow the rules to the hilt..

It's a go for new bus route plan on Edsa

First posted 09:27pm (Mla time) Aug 03, 2005
By Tarra Quismundo
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on Page A21 of the August 4, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and transport groups finally found common ground yesterday on the controversial Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme, paving the way for the implementation of the plan aimed at easing traffic on Edsa.

The MMDA said it would begin the full implementation of the OBR next week.

Willing to try
"I think the transport groups have realized how difficult it is to do business under the present setup, so they are now willing to give the scheme a try," said Angelito Vergel de Dios, MMDA Traffic Operations Center Executive Director.

The OBR, a first-on-first-off limited dispatch system at designated bus terminals along Edsa, was recently upheld as legal by a Makati court in a ruling on an injunction case filed by transport groups that branded the scheme a "restraint of trade." The MMDA said the system would maximize commuter loading of buses in one round-trip, boosting profits and saving on fuel expenses.

The agency has already readied five terminals to accommodate buses end to end. For southern commuters, terminals were set up at the Metropolis Mall, Alabang, Muntinlupa City; FTI in Bicutan, Taguig City; and Baclaran in Parañaque City. Terminals in northern Metro Manila include one in Navotas and another in Malanday, Valenzuela City. The MMDA also has a sprawling terminal complex in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Tamper-proof cards
Tamper-proof color-coded queue cards have also been readied for distribution to buses.

"The agreement was, if bus companies would earn more because of the scheme as we believe they would, we would continue implementing the scheme," said Vergel de Dios.

"If after months of observation we see that it's not working, then we would fix the loopholes or, if the failure persists, we would abort the scheme," he continued.

Issues reconciled
Issues on the OBR were reconciled Tuesday in a meeting between MMDA officials and some 20 representatives from bus companies, including owners and officers of Jell Transport, Gasat Express, Pascual Liner, Cign Transport, Saint Rose Transit, Original Transport, Filipinas Trailways and Everlasting Transport. Of the Metro Manila-based bus operators' organizations, only the Intercity Bus Operators Association (Interboa) sent a representative to the meeting.

Despite the absence of representatives from other transport groups, the MMDA said it would pursue the implementation of the scheme. The OBR was first implemented on an experimental basis in December 2003.

I have been waiting for so long for this! its a win-win-win situation on the part of the commuters, bus operators, and environment.

With this OBR, passengers can still get on and off to anypoint in EDSA? or only allowed at the designated terminals? And would buses have fixed schedule of transit? Or maybe the alis-puno (Load and go?) system?

1st natural gas-fed bus to roll soon

First posted 02:01am (Mla time) Aug 05, 2005
By Abigail L. Ho
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on Page A23 of the August 5, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


JUMPSTARTING the country’s efforts to ease dependence on imported oil, the Philippine National Oil Co. has agreed to provide 200 normal cubic meters of compressed natural gas (CNG) at P15 a liter to a bus that will be plying the Fort Bonifacio-Pacita Complex route starting this month.

PNOC president and chief executive Eduardo Mañalac said the CNG, equivalent to 200 liters of diesel each week this month, will enable the HM Transport Inc. CNG-fed bus to start operating even while awaiting the completion of Shell Philippines’ mother-daughter refueling station this month.

The commissioning of the mother station in Tabangao, Batangas and the “daughter” station along the South Luzon Expressway in Biñan, Laguna within the month would mark the start of the full commercial run of HM Transport’s 80 CNG buses, he said.

The 80 China-made buses were acquired under the government’s Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT).

The NGVPPT aims to promote the use of CNG in the public transport sector by providing incentives to industry participants, and offering the gas at very low prices.

I haven't been to the Phils for almost 2 years now, and even then I couldn't remember the prices, but I'm guessing 15 pesos a liter is a bargain, even more so for a new petroleum type

1st natural gas-fed bus to roll soon

bus that will be plying the Fort Bonifacio-Pacita Complex route starting this month


At long last, my long wait is over.

I hope the bus design is cool! And more imporatantly all the jeepneys and buses in MM use this para we have less pollution!

We should require all busses to have doorways 3 feet of the ground accesible only thorugh bus stops , similar to curutiba brazil so we don't get them to stop anywhere they want.

^^ They will look like the ones in the first page of this thread:) Good news that they are starting operations soon.

I don't get why the OBR is so controversial. Not having it is rather dubious isn't it?

YAY, Let's celebrate. We have been so inundated with political noise that we temporarily lost track of what matters most; progress for our country. I really hope these buses start operation SOON.

^having said that, OBR implementation which is supposed to start today was postponed due to some minor problems.

YAY, Let's celebrate. We have been so inundated with political noise that we temporarily lost track of what matters most; progress for our country. I really hope these buses start operation SOON.
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :)

good news!! I thought I saw one parked on the road the other day, pero maybe not. it looked really nice though and I thought I saw the logo of one of those Chinese manufacturers. haha!

anyway, I just hope that the 18-month, 3,000 bus target will be achieved so at least some of those dirty, disgusting buses on EDSA will finally be put away. it's good too that the DOE is trying to promote ethanol in fuels. I don't think a lot of other countries are doing that yet...

Yahoo :dance: :nocrook:

Oh una pa Baguio (which could really use it, nasisira ang beauty niya!) and Davao ( another green city!)

this will really change things, Manila was rated as one of the expats most livable cities in Asia, a favorite except that their number complaint, even in ADB pinaguusapan, is the polluition specially around mm, EDSA etc, when we convert to LPG - which makes sense since it's cheaper anyway - this place will really get cleaned up, and even the tourist will see this, di lang tayong naghihirap maglakad.

Gov't pushes LPG use in transport
Posted: 2:21 AM | Aug. 09, 2005

Abigail L. Ho
Inquirer News Service

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THE DEPARTMENT of Energy (DoE) is working on a policy framework to expand the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), used chiefly for cooking, as a transport fuel, a department official said.

Coming off consultations with industry stakeholders in Cebu City early last month, Director Teresita Borra of the Bureau of Energy Utilization and Management said in an internal memo that one of the items raised at an open forum was a "need to establish a policy framework and identify the specific government agency that will regulate the different components of the autogas program implementation."

These components include registration categories of autogas vehicles as well as safety regulation and certification of vehicle conversion.

Industry stakeholders also raised the need for capacity building, particularly involving government agencies and local government units on the use of LPG as a transport fuel, autogas technology and the various components of the autogas program.

A study of the economic benefits and safety of using autogas for private trucks and vehicles in Cebu City was also suggested.

Energy Undersecretary Peter Anthony Abaya said in an interview that it took around P50,000 to turn a regular taxicab into an autogas-fed cab. Interested operators can avail themselves of financing from the state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines, he said.

Autogas cabs have started to become quite popular in Cebu City. During DoE consultations there, three taxicab terminals were inspected, all of which had a total of 290 autogas-fed cabs.

Emerson Taxi had 47 autogas taxicabs in operation and a Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. dispensing station that had a 2,000 US gallons water capacity LPG tank. Jays Express Taxi had 43 autogas taxis and a Shell dispensing station of the same capacity. RP Corominas Taxi and Corominas Taxi had a combined 200 autogas cabs and Shell and Petron Corp. dispensing stations.

Shell requires a minimum of 40 taxis for the installation of a dispensing pump in the taxi terminal or garage.

According to the DoE's update Philippine Energy Plan, an autogas standard for road vehicles, cylinders and dispensing stations would be developed within the year, in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry.

Borra recommended that, in drafting the policy framework, the economic differences of taxi operations in various cities be considered, saying that boundary levels, fuel costs and operating hours differed from one city to another.

To be able to include these factors in the policy framework, the DoE will be going around the country to gather inputs from industry stakeholders, particularly in key cities nationwide.

After the Cebu consultation held last July 7, schedules have been set for similar consultations in Metro Manila, Baguio City, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro City and Iloilo City.

In Metro Manila, 108 autogas taxis are now plying the streets and two Petron dispensing pumps are available to provide them with fuel.

Shell is conducting a pilot project with a taxi operator in Cagayan de Oro City on autogas taxi operations.

Baguio City and Davao City have been identified as two of the pilot "Clean Cities'' under the US Agency for International Development's Clean Cities Program, which promotes the use of alternative transport fuels. Iloilo City is a Clean Cities candidate. With INQ7.net :dance: :dance:

Yeah this should be good for Baguio. I visited Baguio last month, it was my first visit after 15 years. I was really disappointed because the air wasn't as fresh as i remembered it. There was so much jeepney spewing crap in the air that in no longer reminded me of Baguio. Ahh, sadness.

"The CNG bus is the first of 200 units arriving the Philippines before the end of the year. The Philippine government hopes to have 2000 CNG buses serving Metro Manila routes by 2010."--China Embassy

http://www.china-embassy.org.ph/eng/xwdt/W020050703612473286077.jpg
http://www.china-embassy.org.ph/eng/xwdt/W020050703612490161946.jpg
http://www.china-embassy.org.ph/eng/xwdt/W020050703612506411689.jpg

source: www.china-embassy.org.ph

:applause: Very good news. And that bus looks pretty good.

the transit here in toronto (toronto transit commission or ttc) is integrated. the bus routes are based on the grid system (north to south, west to east). buses end or somehow hits a subway station for easy transfers. altho it's still a far cry from the smart card systems, it is based several options. the standard fare is $2.50 (no minimum distance travelled, plus you get a transfer ticket for free. for a maxmium travel, a day pass is the answer ($8.00, unlimited travel). the thing is, you have to analyze your travel so you can maximize your fare. the city of toronto has been trying to reduce the gridlock on the streets and highways, but it still losing the ridership war. you have here a system demanding money from the city, provincial and federal governments because of rising cost but losing people taking the transit system. the ttc is heavily subsidized and unionized. every number of years, there is always the threat of strikes. so you have here the cost of paying your workers versus declining government support.

the rationale here is, if manila is aiming for an integrated transit system (it should have done decades ago), it should make ways of making do of what it earns (and better yet, make ways of how it will earn - advertising, etc). otherwise, it will just ask the government for subsidies.

check this site: www.ttc.ca

card readers are a brilliant idea. most buses in singapore, europe etc. have those. but like pau said it will be hard to implement.

the best idea would be a "day pass" for MRT/LRT lines and buses that want to join it.

very coach-like. would be great for any city indeed.

with the high cost of gasolne right now i think we need to have all PUV'S fed with natural gas... attention the malampaya guys

i just hope this buses are ergonomically designed , yung tuhod mo sa tamang lugar !!!

Philtranco at 91: More diverse travel & safe trip

Philtranco, now 91 years old of service to the Filipino, takes us to all parts of the country, linking Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao through Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH).

Philtranco not only offers a more affordable alternative to local air or sea voyage, it also promises a richer, more diverse travel experience and the reliability of a safe, comfortable trip.

The company is known and trusted as a huge innovator for easy and comfortable local travel and a major contributor to the local tourism industry.

Mila Abad, spokesperson of Philtranco said since it was established in 1914, Philtranco has grown into a world-class, globally competitive transportation provider it is today.

Abad said the company continues to improve the quality of the riding public with programs such as Luz-Vi-Minda, a bus-cum-ferry operation encompassing Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; Biyaheng Pinoy, a revolutionary passenger service program aimed to provide seamless, worry-free travel; Philtranco Privilege Plus, offering year-round discounts and other amenities to regular Philtranco passengers.

The company also offers SMS service, Philkargo, the fastest and most efficient cargo transport system in the country; and most recently the Computerized Ticketing and Reservations System, which was launched last year.

Abad said with new terminals in Iloilo, Tandag and the newest terminal in Cubao, Philtranco now boasts of 16 major terminals, 30 end points and 200 destinations nationwide.

The terminal in Tandag offers more choices of destination in Mindanao, covering a further area southeast of the Surigao station.

In June this year, Philtranco inaugurated the newly improved Catbalogan Terminal, between Calbayog and Tacloban stations.

What was once a shabby outhouse beside a filling station and parking lot for the buses has been renovated, not only for the convenience of the travelers, but also the drivers and service crew as well.

The ticketing booth now offers a cellphone charging outlet, as well as cozier meal stop spaces, a TV viewing area and a smoking area.

Over the summer many vacationers in the white beaches of Boracay were able to avail of a less expensive alternative with the Boracay Budget Promo, as an all-inclusive trip to Boracay on the Philtranco bus, without having to line up individually for the roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) ferries and charter your own pump boats to the island.

Other current RO-RO promos include free passage to Samar and Leyte until October this year.

At the same time tourists and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) will find travel time easier, shorter, cheaper and more exciting through the new Manila-Clark-Manila shuttle which takes passenger bound for Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Singapore to or from the Diosdado Macapagal International; Airport (DMIA) at Clark straight from or to SM Megamall in Ortigas Center.

Passengers to Bicol, Leyte, Samar, Panay and Mindanao will find an even more accessible and convenient departure point as Philtranco’s latest main terminal in Cubao will be opened this month.

Exclusive to Philtranco passengers, the new terminal will have all amenities such as spacious and secure waiting lounge, facilities for ticketing and reservations, as well as areas for check-in and boarding, and a food court.

The terminal is found along EDSA, across the main road from Farmer’s Plaza and Araneta Coliseum and walking distance from the MRT Cubao station.

Also launched during the recent anniversary was the Trading Post, which provides exchanges of Agro and other local products from the different provinces and regions along its routes with wholesalers and retailers from Manila.

At the Central Station in Pasay City, a booth at the Food Court and food stalls at the ground floor were set up.

The booth will serve as a souvenir shop, while the stalls at the ground floor features food samples that the Trading Post carries.

taken from abs-cbnnews.com...

MMDA ready with bus- route plan

By JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA, The Manila Times Reporter

The long-anticipated implementation of the Organized bus route program of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will push through next week, an official of the agency said Tuesday.

Traffic operation center chief Angelito Vergel de Dios said the agency was almost finished with the preparations for the program’s dry-run.

He said the agency had invited all bus operators to attend the final meeting for the OBR on Friday to familiarize them with the mechanics of the program.

"There will be a final meeting between the MMDA officials and bus operators this coming Friday and after that we can go with the program next week," de Dios said in the an interview with The Manila Times

The traffic chief noted that it was Chairman Bayani Fernando who ordered the immediate implementation of the OBR, which is expected to address the worsening traffic congestion and minimize fuel consumption.

Several passenger bus operators have given their support for the program and promised to cooperate with the agency as long as the program can help solve the problem with colorum and out-of-line operations

:applause: sounds like the great hope for the bus dilemma we have had for decades

anyone seen them hitech natural gas buses already? it's been deployed right?

i hope this project is a big success.. taken from philstar.com.. BF is my favorite cabinet person.. the second favorite is DOT durano.. hehehe..

All set for MMDA’s Organized Bus Route scheme

The Philippine Star 09/29/2005

It’s all systems go for the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said the new bus scheme will be launched tomorrow at the Bagumbayan Bus Terminal along the C-4 Road in Navotas.

The OBR seeks to improve bus service along EDSA by regulating the number of buses dispatched at terminals according to passenger demand and by strictly enforcing the rules on the use of public utility vehicle (PUV) lanes.

"The OBR aims to instill discipline among PUV drivers and restore order along the entire stretch of EDSA," Fernando said.

The MMDA chief also pointed out that the OBR scheme will allow the agency to weed out colorum and out-of-line buses.

The current load factor of a buses operating in Metro Manila with a seating capacity of 60 passengers averages only about 35 percent per trip.

With the OBR, Fernando said they expect to double load factor to at least 70 percent for a one-way trip.

Preparations have been underway since last year to ensure that the new bus dispatch system meets its scheduled launch this month.

The MMDA has established four terminals and other control stations at strategic points in Metro Manila where buses from various routes will converge and be given color-coded dispatch numbers.

Work on distribution of tags for metro buses started last May and is now 70 percent complete. Hundreds of MMDA personnel have started tagging buses at the southern terminals in Baclaran, Alabang, Navotas and Robinson’s Place in Novaliches.

President Arroyo has endorsed the OBR scheme and said earlier that it is one of her administration’s energy conservation measures to cut fuel and energy consumption. The project has been endorsed by at least 15 Metro mayors.

i hope this project is a big success.. taken from philstar.com.. BF is my favorite cabinet person.. the second favorite is DOT durano.. hehehe..


Ditto!

When will MM ever get an organized bus system like ones in Europe and North America? Buses with numbers that go to special routes:

http://www.chaffeeyiu.com/wallpaper/van-r8069-98.jpg
http://us1.webpublications.com.au/static/images/articles/i527/52798_00mg.jpg

neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Let's get rid of the jeepneys and have the buses run those routes or better yet lrt's!

Well they do go on specific routes though. Despite the numerous operators, the routes are preset. They wouldn't be given a franchise to operate if the routes weren't set-- buses can't just drive anywhere.

So instead of the M11 bus, you have the Ayala-Quiapo bus. Or instead of the BX9 bus, you have the Edsa bus that runs the entire length of Edsa. Or instead of the M2 bus, you have the Buendia-LRT bus. Preset routes... just no numbers here.

I think the route numbers are window dressing. I think it's more important for them to cut down on the number of operators and change the fare system so that the kind of competition for passengers as it exists today stops. We wouldn't have the chaos on the streets if the buses, even individual bus drivers from the same company, didn't have to compete for passengers. Can we say that this is one instance where the cut-throat competition under free markets is unhealthy? A little regulation is wanted here.

that's why MMDA implemented the "organized bus route system" to lessen the volume of PUV's plying the main thoroughfares of metro manila. I also agree on cutting down the number of operators but I guess that would trigger another set of strikes (we had enough of those). If they cannot do anyting with the operators, target the number of buses that they operate, which the MMDA is actually doing right now. I just hope that the operators will continue to be cooperative. It's for everyone's benefit anyway.

So how is this OBR working? Has it been implemented yet? Every single one of the articles above say, it's ready to be implemented, but they keep on delaying.

Any improvement?

i think it was implemented last year. but then they stopped coz of complains from the operators. whether they already resumed it or not, I'm not sure about that. maybe the other forumers can inform us more about this?

From today's papers

New bus scheme on Edsa begins today
First posted 10:22pm (Mla time) Sept 29, 2005
By Tarra Quismundo
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on Page A23 of the September 30, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE METROPOLITAN MANILA Development Authority (MMDA) will start its controlled bus dispatch scheme today.

President Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to attend the launch of the Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme at the terminal in Navotas town this morning. Some 800 Metropolitan Manila buses will be affected initially, MMDA officials said. When fully implemented, the scheme places more than 3,000 buses traversing Edsa under limited dispatch, based on commuter demand.

As planned, the number of trips a bus makes per day will be reduced. At present, a bus averages four trips.

The MMDA estimates the project to cost around P23.4 million, including expenses for the preparation of facilities and components for the scheme. It is expected to save fuel and reduce operating costs.

Buses covered by the initial run ply the route from Navotas to Baclaran, Alabang, FTI (Food Terminal Inc.), Pacita Complex in Laguna, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.

Participating buses were issued OBR tags, proof of legitimate operations. The OBR would cover about 25 routes that traverse Edsa, some ending in the provinces of Laguna and Bulacan. The MMDA has put up OBR terminals in Navotas, Alabang, Baclaran, and Novaliches.

Let's hope people are disciplined enough to follow the OBR.

Thanks for those nice Pic of Victory Liner terminal(last year pa pala) ...brings back memories from last years trip to Baguio...i too,..prefer victory liner over others.We've only tried going to Baguio by bus once but we got to Manila on time...we normally drive....

if going to Legaspi City....definitely catch Philtranco...do not try Raymonds...i repeat not Raymonds.....awful ....but Philtranco is fast smooth service ( Atleast to my observation)

If I were to go to Baguio during the holidays, what is the best way to get there assuming we don't drive there. Is Victory Liner bus ok? Where is their terminal? How long is travel time? 5 hours?

If I were to go to Baguio during the holidays, what is the best way to get there assuming we don't drive there. Is Victory Liner bus ok? Where is their terminal? How long is travel time? 5 hours?


Lili....wala ako na experience na Prob sa Victory Liner.....and they're terminal is not far from burnham Park...it took us i think less than ten mins taxi ...clean ang terminal nila...and its not confusing ...also its doesnt seem very crowded so thats nice (thats based on my experience last year :)

nah not 5 hours....alow about 6 to 7 for sure....maybe even 7...that also depends of what time of the day you wanna travel...then the length of the Journey depends on it....

^ Ok, thanks for that info @Rodney. I might give it a go when I visit. :)

^ Ok, thanks for that info @Rodney. I might give it a go when I visit. :)

no Probs Lili...yan edit ko

Locals, how is the new organized bus scheme working out?

taken from abscbnnews.com...

MMDA implements new bus scheme

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) implemented the Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme along EDSA on Monday, causing minor problems in bus terminals.

DZMM reports said drivers of some public utility buses refused to follow the new scheme, which requires the use of queue cards to regulate the flow of buses along EDSA.

It noted that in Baclaran, Paranaque City, some of the bus drivers refuse to secure their queue cards because of the long traffic line they had to endure.

MMDA officials, however, said passenger buses would be apprehended along EDSA if they do not have queue cards.

MMDA executive director for Traffic Operation Center Angelito Vergel de Dios said minor problems are usual during the first day of implementation of a new bus scheme.

"It would be quite difficult at first but problems will be corrected immediately as soon as they emerge," said de Dios.

He said the MMDA decided to enforce the scheme after observing that many buses run half full.

The OBR will be in effect in at least 25 northbound and southbound routes along EDSA.

The agency has established OBR terminals in Alabang, Baclaran, FTI, Navotas and Fairview.

Thanks for those nice Pic of Victory Liner terminal(last year pa pala) ...brings back memories from last years trip to Baguio...i too,..prefer victory liner over others.We've only tried going to Baguio by bus once but we got to Manila on time...we normally drive....

if going to Legaspi City....definitely catch Philtranco...do not try Raymonds...i repeat not Raymonds.....awful ....but Philtranco is fast smooth service ( Atleast to my observation)

I beg to disagree...If u want a luxurious trip to Legazpi take Cagsawa Tours, They dispatch Buses to Cubao Terminal and Ermita area near Robinsons Manila, I forgot the road name. All their Buses are Air Suspension, well maintained, 30-33 seater only (40-45 for other buslines), driver uniforms looks like they are pilots, u are given baggage claim numbers, and u cant just board w/o properly booked tickets and a boarding pass, all the stopover points are very nice and chic, and they dont pick-up passengers along the way (very safe).

Philtranco is also not bad, but i still prefer Cagsawa. I particularly like single seater Buses of Philtranco (3 separate rows of seats) and they have a stewardess on the deck.

^^ either Philtranco or cagsawa is my uncle's preference :)

can anybody tell me the pointers for getting info about rail/metro/bus network around Manila/Makati/Muntinlupa...

Actually am new to the place...

Thanx in advance...

I beg to disagree...If u want a luxurious trip to Legazpi take Cagsawa Tours, They dispatch Buses to Cubao Terminal and Ermita area near Robinsons Manila, I forgot the road name. All their Buses are Air Suspension, well maintained, 30-33 seater only (40-45 for other buslines), driver uniforms looks like they are pilots, u are given baggage claim numbers, and u cant just board w/o properly booked tickets and a boarding pass, all the stopover points are very nice and chic, and they dont pick-up passengers along the way (very safe).

Philtranco is also not bad, but i still prefer Cagsawa. I particularly like single seater Buses of Philtranco (3 separate rows of seats) and they have a stewardess on the deck.

How long is the travel time to Legazpi from Manila @Olineil?

I don't really support the proliferation of buses plying within the MM.
But since buses are an inevitable mode of transportation within the city, I would like to suggest a Centralized Bus Terminal instead of the current multiple bus stations scattered around the Metro. This will lessen the blockage caused by buses coming in and out of the stations and parking along the highways (such as EDSA).
The Central Bus Terminal that will house both MM and Provincial bound buses must be connected to an MRT/LRT line for easy transfer. I suggest a huge 4-story central bus station similar to the the NY Port Authority (which I think is only 3-story). By then, all other stations scattered around the city shall be abolished and the location be developed into something more useful and organized.

I don't really support the proliferation of buses plying within the MM.
But since buses are an inevitable mode of transportation within the city, I would like to suggest a Centralized Bus Terminal instead of the current multiple bus stations scattered around the Metro. This will lessen the blockage caused by buses coming in and out of the stations and parking along the highways (such as EDSA).
The Central Bus Terminal that will house both MM and Provincial bound buses must be connected to an MRT/LRT line for easy transfer. I suggest a huge 4-story central bus station similar to the the NY Port Authority (which I think is only 3-story). By then, all other stations scattered around the city shall be abolished and the location be developed into something more useful and organized.

3 or 4 terminal building in every corner of Manila? Will the government be able to affort to erect those buildings? Will there be a space for it everywhere in Manila? Or is it just one location all and all?

Bus driver, conductors caught bribing MMDA men
By Rhodina Villanueva
The Philippine Star 10/19/2005

Policemen apprehended a driver and two conductors yesterday after they allegedly tried to bribe traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) which has stepped up the implementation of the Organized Bus Route (OBR) scheme on EDSA.

Police Officer 1 Francis Serrano said Renato Ronnie Cavillo, driver of MGP Transport; Edwin Parale, conductor of MGP Transport; and Domingo Roson Botor, conductor of Ismael Bus Line were apprehended at around 7 a.m. for violation of the "close-door policy" on buses.

A bus cannot travel on EDSA with its doors open, which is one of the rules under the OBR.

Serrano said that the three all used the same method in attempting to bribe the traffic enforcers.

"When they handed the driver’s license, there was a P100 bill in the jacket, which surprised the enforcers," he said.

Executive Director Angelito Vergel de Dios of the Traffic Operation Center (TOC) said the three bus employees were detained at the emergency station in Timog, Quezon City.

"We really mean to strictly implement the OBR as what Chairman Bayani Fernando instructed. The bus operators and drivers should really comply," he said.

The TOC chief added that they are now preparing bribery charges against the three men.

3 or 4 terminal building in every corner of Manila? Will the government be able to affort to erect those buildings? Will there be a space for it everywhere in Manila? Or is it just one location all and all?

I meant one huge central bus terminal of up to 4-stories bldng.

actually its a good idea to do that... but the problem I guess is that all our public buses are private owned unlike in other countries where the buses are government owned... or there are around 2-3 operators only...

here in Manila there are tens of operators owning different bus lines... and I wouldn't think if these companies would agree to be housed in one terminal only... except maybe for the provincial buses...

How long is the travel time to Legazpi from Manila @Olineil?

By bus will depend on the Brand ur riding.

1. Cagasawa Tours : (only 2 stopovers, late dinner and Breakfast) +-10hrs including the stopovers. It will also ply only the diversion roads of every city so doesnt get chocked on the traffic in town and city centers. Cagasawa only travels night trips so u wouldnt feel the length of the travel.

2. Philtranco: (2 stopovers) +-12 hrs coz it needs to pass by all the major town and city centers and also pick-up passenger along the way or Sub Bus stations in other towns.

3. Other Buses: 13-14 hrs will pick up any soul that flags it.

4. By Private Car: 8hrs

actually its a good idea to do that... but the problem I guess is that all our public buses are private owned unlike in other countries where the buses are government owned... or there are around 2-3 operators only...

here in Manila there are tens of operators owning different bus lines... and I wouldn't think if these companies would agree to be housed in one terminal only... except maybe for the provincial buses...

Yeah, disagreement amongst the bus operators will definitely brew-up.
But I hope they will realize the long term benefit that awaits them. They can turn their old bus stations into something more profitable like skyscrapers, malls, restaurants, etc., and at the same time they canl help ease the flow of traffic within the Metro.
I don't think that they need to spend much in building the terminal as it is supposed to be a government infrastructure that will be run by the MMDA. All they have to do is rent a space. The profiit they get from the diversification of the old stations will help pay for that rent, plus they can also opt to establish food/vanity kiosks within the new centralized bus terminal as add on business.

Bus scheme eases EDSA traffic, discourages provincial runs
By Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star 10/20/2005

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando’s scheme to control the number of public utility buses (PUVs) on EDSA has so far succeeded in decongesting traffic in the 26-kilometer superhighway.

However, the Organized Bus Route (OBR) has significantly affected provincial bus operations since there are reportedly fewer units wanting to ply the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon (Calabarzon) to Manila route.

The scheme, observers noted, has discouraged provincial buses from ferrying passengers to Makati, Quezon City and Caloocan City since they are not allowed to load and unload passengers along EDSA.

Provincial bus line operators stand to earn less because of the strict implementation of a terminal-to-terminal policy as soon as their units enter Metro Manila.

The Star received reports that since OBR’s full implementation last Monday, Calabarzon commuters have been finding it hard to get a ride.

MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno, in an interview, said this appears to be a result of the agency’s drive against colorum buses and its campaign against stubborn drivers who violate "no loading and unloading" rules.

He said they have received information that at least two provincial bus companies have ceased or cut down operations because of the OBR.

Nacianceno said their units are most likely colorum since the MMDA’s scheme effectively identifies and prevents unauthorized buses from using EDSA.

He stressed, however, that the OBR scheme does not intend to cripple provincial bus operations and leave Calabarzon commuters stranded.

"The system simply seeks to put things in order and improve traffic on EDSA.

Legitimate provincial buses are not affected by the OBR. They are not even required to register. Obviously, those refusing to ply their routes are either colorum or violators of the terminal-to-terminal rule," Nacianceno explained.

MMDA Deputy Chairman Cesar Lacuna said the agency would still have to verify the reports.

He said the more important thing now is that EDSA traffic is better as observed by motorists in the last three days.

"Nakikita at nararamdaman na ngayon ng publiko natin na lumuwag ang EDSA and this is our primary goal, Lacuna said. "But this is still just an early assessment."

He said the MMDA will come up with a report on how the OBR scheme fared during its first week of implementation to determine the strong points and areas that need improvement.

Implementation of the OBR has led to the impounding of some 28 buses for being untagged, unregistered for the scheme, or for being colorum units.

The system has also disciplined bus drivers and conductors since they are required be in uniform and in shoes before their buses are cleared for dispatch.

uhmm.. I remember a few years back when reading some details on the proposed redevelopment of Cubao and Araneta Center, that they are planning to move all provincial bus terminals from EDSA to a central terminal within Cubao... has this have any chance of progress?

and if I'm not mistaken that there is a centralized bus terminal also built up along EDSA near the corner of Quezon Ave... but I'm not sure if it's operational now...

I heard MMDA is proposing the vacant lot near the intersection of Quezon Ave and EDSA. I think it's a good location because it is near the MRT terminal.
Cubao may not be a good location as everything there is crammed already.

^^^ BF is a minor god for being able to implement this well!!! a job well done!!! hopefully all his plans for the metro would come to pass as well.. and soon!!!

By bus will depend on the Brand ur riding.

1. Cagasawa Tours : (only 2 stopovers, late dinner and Breakfast) +-10hrs including the stopovers. It will also ply only the diversion roads of every city so doesnt get chocked on the traffic in town and city centers. Cagasawa only travels night trips so u wouldnt feel the length of the travel.

2. Philtranco: (2 stopovers) +-12 hrs coz it needs to pass by all the major town and city centers and also pick-up passenger along the way or Sub Bus stations in other towns.

3. Other Buses: 13-14 hrs will pick up any soul that flags it.

4. By Private Car: 8hrs

Thanks, Olineil.

I heard MMDA is proposing the vacant lot near the intersection of Quezon Ave and EDSA. I think it's a good location because it is near the MRT terminal.
Cubao may not be a good location as everything there is crammed already.


actually that proposed structure on that corner of EDSA is already built..... though I am not sure if it is operational now...

Do you have a pic? Is it big enough to accomodate most of the buses.

ei guys, taken from an editorial from philstar.com..

OBR — What a relief!
BUSINESS & LEISURE By Ray Butch Gamboa
The Philippine Star 10/29/2005

Just got back from a sortie with the bigwigs of local motoring in Japan for the Tokyo Motor Show. I was gone for almost a week, gaping at the latest automobile models many of them designed for the future, courtesy of Honda Cars Philippines. By Monday morning, I was back on the roads, ready for new battles to be fought in the corporate world but, being back home, I knew the first battle to reckon with was the ubiquitous Manila traffic. Being away for the better part of a week, I was shocked to find EDSA so navigable, on an early Monday afternoon!

Breezing through the wide roads of EDSA, I still couldn’t figure out what was wrong, or rather what went right, to find myself in such pleasant traffic conditions. Then it hit me — there were no monstrous buses trying to squeeze me out of my lane. There were buses all right, but they were no longer king of the road because they did not have the numbers.

OBR, or Organized Bus Route has been in the drawing board for some time now but MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando met with a string of obstacles in trying to implement this bold scheme. I remember that it was due to be implemented some time back, but at the last minute, they had to freeze the plan because it drew a lot of flak and faced legal impediments.

Now, the scheme is in full implementation, and with no one sounding the bugles to announce its implementation, there is no mistaking it — it has made its mark on Manila traffic.

For those not in the know on how the Organized Bus Route works, here’s a brief primer on it, as the MMDA explains it.

All the buses plying the routes within Metro Manila will emanate from designated terminals. These buses will only be dispatched to their designated routes as the need for them arises — this shall be called by MMDA representatives as they see fit. Therefore, on a lazy afternoon, when there are hardly any commuters on the road, there is hardly any need for dozens of buses speeding along EDSA half-full. I remember getting terribly annoyed at seeing these buses squeezing out hapless sedans, always seemingly in a rush, at two in the afternoon, and two thirds of the bus empty. And there was always a horde of them, when there was clearly no need for even half of their number!

With the OBR scheme, bus-riding commuters need not fear that they will be compromised, as there will always be the right number of buses fielded in specific areas. With a more efficient number of buses plying these routes, there are less of toxic fumes to go around and pollution will be more controlled. In these days when fuel is as precious as gold, there will be less mindless driving around in colossal bodies, and fuel conservation will actually be realized by these bus companies.

You see, what happens with some of these small bus companies is that they are run and operated not as profitable companies should be run. They are treated as small enterprises, the operators content with specified boundaries that their drivers turn in at the end of the day. The drivers, having met the boundaries, know that any amount over and above this boundary is at their disposal, and mindlessly speed along the thoroughfares outspeeding one another in search of commuters, in total disregard of fuel waste.

In a recent interview with chairman Bayani, he voiced his apprehensions at the possible backlash of this scheme from the bus operators as well as from the drivers themselves. Having been in the motoring scene for the better part of two decades, I appreciate the plight of drivers and transport operators. Lest we be accused of being anti-poor, I find merit in the suggestion of chairman Fernando. He says it’s high time that the government take over the mass transport system if we are serious in our efforts to stem the worsening traffic conditions in the country. Public transport drivers will thus be salaried employees, properly screened, sufficiently trained and adequately compensated. This scheme is definitely not prejudicial to this sector, and it is important that they understand, and appreciate, the thrust of this scheme.

If you have been avoiding EDSA all this time, try it one of these days. And make it soon because it will be a pleasant surprise, or a mild shock. It certainly felt like the long holidays had begun and half of Manila was already out on a junket.

:eek: wow, thats great news. I glad that OBR is working. Makes me wanna go over there and drive along EDSA.

Don't rush I was still stuck in traffic most days last week

^ well it will be a miracle when one major metropolis gets no traffic at all. I think fuel conservation and reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases from bus will be helped with this OBR.

Don't rush I was still stuck in traffic most days last week

well, the writer was talking about driving during non-rush hour times:D

http://www.philtranco.com.ph/d4/images/site_template_history.jpg

July 1914, a young enterprising American serviceman Albert Louise Ammen together with another American, Max Blouse organized a small transportation company in Iriga, with an initial fleet of one (1) auto-truck. He called the company ALATCO or the A.L. Ammen Transport Co., Inc. Its first route was Iriga-Naga.

Mr. Ammen's venture into the transport business had become so successful that soon he expanded his fleet to service the other towns of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay and Sorsogon. ALATCO became the principal carrier in the Bicol region, inaugurating highway travel that was to open remote villages in the Bicolandia, to the mainstream of economic and social development.

The War in 1942 aborted expansion of the transport company. When it resumed operations in 1945 with surplus US Navy trucks bought from the United States Commercial Company, the company was faced with ruinous competition and beset with problems of maintaining its efficiency and safety as a result of her expanded size and nature of operations.

The Heirs of Don Nicasio Tuazon of Manila took over ownership of ALATCO in 1949 and, with infusion of new capital, embarked on an ambitious program of expansion and rehabilitation. One important development at this time was the company's "dieselization" Program that converted its gas-powered trucks to diesel.

In 1952, there were already 400 units in the ALATCO fleet. ALATCO centered its fleet in Iriga but also maintained subsidiary shops in Daet, Camarines Norte, Naga City, Camarines Sur, Ligao, Tabaco and Legaspi in Albay and Sorsogon and Irosin in Sorsogon.

In 1953, the company ventured to Quezon province by consolidating into local and express bus operations three small bus companies servicing the area. Operating under the umbrella of the Eastern Tayabas Bus Co. (ETBCO) headed by Sr. Ramón Soler. EBTCO later entered into a 5-year lease contract with the Laguna Tayabas Bus Company (LTBCO).

In 1971, the two companies were sold to the Mantrade Group that formally amalgamated the operations of the two firms into one company. It was named the Pantranco South Express, Inc. (PSEI) to differentiate it from its northern counterpart, which the group then already owned.

In 1973, compounded by global crises and steep escalation of fuel costs, PSEI nearly collapsed. The new owners and manager (the Lopa-Coujuangco group) insisted on providing the service even during floods, road interruptions and bad road conditions. Debt-strapped and traumatized by high operations cost, the company's creditors decided to take over the organization.

In 1974, the Creditors Syndicate of PSEI decided to develop and implement a Corporate Rehabilitation Program. The same year, the Company added Catanduanes, Samar and Masbate to its scope of operations, having formalized tie-ups with passenger ferry operators in these areas.

In 1978, PSEI introduced its air-conditioned coaches in its Southern route.

In 1980, the Company expanded its freight service operations and moved its Central offices and terminal at its present site in Pasay City.

The Company pioneered in Eastern Visayas in 1981 and by year-end had connected all of Leyte and Samar provinces to the Luzon mainstream.

PSEI also entered the sea transport business with its passenger and vehicle ferry, linking the ports of Matnog, Sorsogon and Allen, Northern Samar.

A new level of service was inaugurated in 1982 with the addition of Royal Class and new air-conditioned coaches with toilets and VCR's in the company's fleet. PSEI also became the first bus company in the Philippines to computerize its operations in 1982.

In 1984, PSEI together with two other ferryboat operators, formed a joint venture company, the St. Bernard Services Corp. (SBTC) that now operates in the San Bernardino Strait, the government ferry boat, Maharlika I. In the same year, the company changed its name to Philtranco Service Enterprises. Inc.

In 1986 commemorated its Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao (LUZVIMINDA) run which was the first trans-Philippine bus-cum-ferry-operations. Now PSEI has seven ferryboat operations.

Having opened the southern frontiers of Mindanao to Luzon and Visayas with its intermodal transport service, Philtranco hopes to contribute its share in effecting the real unification of the nation where the economic, educational, cultural, political and social opportunities are shared by every Filipino.

In April 1999, Penta Pacific Realty Corporation acquired PSEI headed by businessman Jose CH. Alvarez. This new group immediately programmed a fleet replacement of 80 units costing 250 million pesos.

The 29-seater Gold Service Bus was introduced on June 2000 initially serving key cities in the Bicol region, having a coach stewardess as an additional crew to assist passengers, giving the same service as that of an airline.

On June 1, 2001, PSEI implemented the Passenger Check-in and Baggage Tag System procedures for the security, convenience and comfort of our riding public. PSEI is the first Bus Company to adopt this kind of procedure patterned after the airline system. Today, Philtranco is a symbol of progress in the Philippine transport industry. The Company continues to blaze new trails with the innovations in its levels and brands of services.

Proud to be Bicolano!

In promoting the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga, as an alternate to its counterpart in Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Philtranco offers a hassle-free daily Manila-Clark-Manila trip schedule.See Schedules (http://www.philtranco.com.ph/d4/tripsched_all.html#Trip_Airport)

^a white guy calling in a cellphone :lol:, hus white guy in a business suit would ride in philtranco. comm'n guy be realistic.

^a white guy calling in a cellphone :lol:, hus white guy in a business suit would ride in philtranco. comm'n guy be realistic.

Nope its not meant for a White Guy in a business suit coz firstly if he is a white Guy in a Business suit he obviously he can affor a car or at least the comapny hes doin business with. The Philitranco Buses are most probably meant for those Balikbayans and Pinoys who returned from a SEA vacation. This People, like me would prefer to take a Bus to Manila and just have my family meet me in Manila rather than lettin them go all the way to Clark. And mind u, maybe u are thinking Philtranco Buses are delapidated? Nope its not, i dont think they would be sending Ordinary Buses to ariports right? They are in good condition, and even ur business suit wont get ruined.

Sixty years on the road
Posted: 11:03 PM | Oct. 30, 2005
Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Inquirer News Service


Published on Page B2-1 of the October 31, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

SIXTY YEARS SPELL retirement for most people, the end of the road of a life well spent for some.

But for Victory Liner Inc., the Philippines largest bus company, it feels like the voyage has just begun, even after six decades of moving people better and safer.

Marivic de Jesus, treasury and marketing chief of Victory Liner, says that while the company revels in being compared to the famous American Greyhound Line, Victory Liner continues to strive to be on top of its game.

"We're always on our toes, making sure our buses run perfectly and on time and we're always looking for ways to make bus rides more comfortable and safe. Quality and innovation, that's our guiding light since our lolo founded this company," says De Jesus. De Jesus is the granddaughter of Victory Liner founder Jose I. Hernandez Sr., a Bulacan mechanic who started Victory Liner from scrap metal and surplus engines obtained from military vehicles abandoned by the US army who felt it cheaper to leave them here rather than bring them back home.

De Jesus says it was a family affair from the start with Hernandez himself as bus driver, his wife Marta as treasurer, and several in-laws acting as conductor (Leonardo D. Trinidad), relief driver (Santiago Crisostomo), helper (Eugenio Trinidad).

The company is still run by second and third-generation family members, all of whom have held on to the company's decades-old values, like being a stickler for quality parts, regular maintenance, and constant innovation.

The first of Victory Liner's low-profile jardinera buses plied the Manila-Olongapo route on October 15,1945 with its first terminal located at the corner of Azcarraga St. (now Claro M. Recto Ave.) and Juan Luna St. in Divisoria, Manila.

Now, Victory Liner has a fleet of 720 buses (the biggest in the local industry) with eight hubs and eight passing stations serving Zambales, Cagayan Valley, Baguio and Pangasinan.

Hernandez named his bus line Victory from the Liberation's catchword "Victory Joe."

De Jesus says it was a bit ironic that his lolo's bus company ended up victorious against some American GIs who stayed behind for a crack at the business opportunity in the local transport sector.

De Jesus says Victory Liner had always had its eye on a bigger market beyond the Manila-Zambales route.

In 1953, Victory Liner expanded its operations with the acquisition of major bus companies in Luzon, including the TRY-V-Tran, then the largest bus company plying the Manila-Zambales route.

"We bought it with just a meager down payment and nothing but our palabra de honor [word of honor] to pay it in full," de Jesus says.

The company also did not waver from taking on the risk of riding through perilous roads routes, such as when it opened up a Manila-Cagayan routes following its acquisition of the Dacanay Express and Angat Transportation Co. in the 1970s.

Victory Liner president and general manager Johnny T. Hernandez considered this a bold move in view of the unstable peace and order situation in the region at that time.

De Jesus says his Uncle Johnny pushed the vision of their lolo further in the 80s, during which the company started purchasing real estate properties for future use in operations such as terminals, stations, meal stops, refueling stations and rest areas for passengers and crews.

Among its key properties are the four-storey terminal building in Olongapo, the Cubao terminal in New York-Edsa Cubao, and its pride-the Baguio depot which was patterned after New York's Grand Central Terminal and Port Authority.

The Baguio terminal is located close to a Microtel Inn & Suites, America's leading bed and breakfast provider, which is run by an affiliate company. De Jesus says the company's long-term goal was for the merger of lodging and bus facilities in Luzon.

De Jesus says Johnny Hernandez also organized and trained a team of mechanic-drivers and had always made it a point to keep his buses always in tip-top condition. Despite rising costs of replacement parts and lubricants, de Jesus said Victory Liner does not scrimp nor take short cuts when changing tires or changing oil.

"We can't lower our standards in the parts we use because we know how embarrassing it is for the company to fail our passengers because of a flat tire or engine failure," de Jesus says.

Innovation
Victory Liner has one of the most modern maintenance facilities located in Capas, Tarlac and Baler, Quezon City equipped with the latest calibrating machine to control fuel exhaust pollution, modern hydraulic lifts for underbody inspection, and a recapping plant.

Aside from being a stickler for quality, de Jesus says Victory Liner has always had penchant for introducing the latest automotive technology to distinguish itself from the competition.

It was not only a pacesetter in bus technology, de Jesus says Victory Liner was also the first to make passenger comfort a priority from serving snacks and refreshment on board to providing in-transit video entertainment beginning in the betamax years to comfort rooms in their luxury coaches.

Victory Liner also started some of the industry's now common passenger services such as freight and parcel services (since the 60s); queuing system for orderly boarding of buses; metal detectors for firearms and other deadly weapons for added security.

"We practically set the standard by which all buses operate in the country thanks largely to the vision of my lolo and uncle and management," De Jesus says.

Beginning in the 1990s, the third generation members of the Hernandez and Trinidad clans started filling up positions at Victory Liner, but only after logging in work experience from outside.

"This has always been our policy and it has worked well for us because we come in here well-equipped," says De Jesus who worked for a multinational marketing firm for four years before she joined Victory Liner in 1997.

Overcoming challenges
It was during this decade that Victory Liner faced several, largely natural crises-the earthquake in 1990, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, the withdrawal of the US Military Bases in 1992, the heavy lahar flows in 1995, and the Asian financial crisis in 1997-all of which exacted a heavy toll on their Luzon operations.

Not unlike the survival instincts of their forebears in the post-war era, the next generation management team undertook broad cost-cutting measures and tight control of its cash flows to keep their operations running.

But Victory Liner is still not out of the woods.

This year, De Jesus says Victory Liner is facing probably its most serious crisis in 60 years--the steep rise in fuel costs.

"Just do the math-our fuel expenses have increased by 50 percent and toll fees have jumped 613 percent from last year but our fares have only been raised by 15 percent," says De Jesus.

But with the guiding spirit of their lolo and the lessons learned from those who came before them, De Jesus says Victory Liner would ride out this storm, too.

************************
HOW TO POST PIXS? any tips...

bump

This too maybe you can just combine with the different modes of transport in Manila. Less threads but more active.

Just wondering how the OBR is fairing lately and how it compares with other Bus rapid transit schemes in the area, as in the Jakarta BRT. Are there feeder lines running into the OBR stations from outside of Edsa? Would BRT work on any other avenues through out Metro Manila?

Anyone know where I can find good pictures of Jeepneys?

Kelan po ba mai-implement ang phasing out nung mga old buses?
Kasi madami pa din sila eh. It's about time the government gets rid of those flying coffins. Wala namang pakialam ang mga bus companies kung perhuwisyo na sa community yung mga bulok nilang buses eh. Kailangan pa silang pukpukin bago magpaka-tino. :no:

I just want to post pics of my favorite Bus Line. The Baliwag Transit!
Dyaarrraaaannnn!! Heheheheh!!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a80/dodingmouse/BTI.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a80/dodingmouse/Baliuagtransit.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a80/dodingmouse/Baliuag.jpg

I'm also wondering how OBR is working now. From two standpoints:
1) as a private car driver or passenger, is EDSA less traffic jammed?
2) as a public bus passenger, is OBR allowing you to a) find enough buses and b) get to your destinations smoothly?

I wonder which group of people can be represented in these forums.

boybaha

from my point of view a well managed OBR should help both of the types you mention-- I heard that they are even considering some organized Jeepney routes on secondary roads to continue the momemtum toward smoother public transport. I just hope more OBR lines or some BRT (bus rapid transit) lines are established across MM.

Good to hear that its working well and they may extend it to Jeep services. But i oppose a BRT. It doesnt not work very well, imo (and i lived in Jakarta where they have BRT). MRT and LRT lines are much, much better so the government should keep pushing their proposed MRT projects.

^a white guy calling in a cellphone :lol:, hus white guy in a business suit would ride in philtranco. comm'n guy be realistic.

well, they ride the MRT/LRT, although its a little disconcerting to see a caucasian in a suit sweating like a pig while waiting for the train.

Maybe its because of Bea Zobel's PR stunt. I remember sometime ago, she and her entourage took the MRT to an event (although she had a car to take her to Ayala station, and yet another car pick her up at her destination :D)

Bea should probably take the bus next time; that should encourage people to ride it :D

===================

Oh, and OBR or not, I still avoid EDSA like a plague. I'm a C-5 person, myself

http://news.inq7.net/metro/index.php?index=1&story_id=58064
MMDA target: Unsafe buses
First posted 10:33pm (Mla time) Nov 28, 2005
By Tarra V. Quismundo
Inquirer News Service

THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) yesterday gave bus companies a one-week ultimatum to comply with the agency’s regulations on public transport cleanliness as it vowed to crack down on poorly maintained buses.

MMDA Metropolitan Road Rules Enforcement System chief Mon Santiago said they would begin an intensified implementation of other regulatory components of the Organized Bus Scheme (OBR), a controlled bus dispatch and traffic reduction scheme implemented on Edsa in October.

“Now that we have already put the dispatch system in terminals in order, we are moving to the enforcement aspect,” said Santiago.

The first week of December would involve an intensified campaign against smoke belching buses. Monitoring personnel will also look out for buses with tinted glasses or curtains, and those with dirty interiors and grimy license plates.

Offenders face the penalty of losing their turn at the dispatch line, as the agency would be denying violators OBR queue cards required before they can ply their routes under the scheme.

The limited dispatch system has allowed the agency to regulate the release of buses from MMDA-established terminals based on commuter volume at a given time.

As an initial step, the agency will spend the week validating the tags pasted on buses when the MMDA conducted a bus registration procedure for the OBR in September.

Some 2,600 tagged buses had been certified legal, and only these were allowed to ply Edsa when the scheme was implemented, hampering operations of colorum or illegal buses. “Buses will also be checked to see if tags had been removed and attached to other units,” said Santiago.



©2005 www.inq7.net all rights reserved

Mukhang nakukuha sa charms ni Claire dela Fuente ang hindi pag-implement nito agad ah? Ang tagal nang problema ng mga buwiset na flying coffins na yan. Kung bakit hindi pa mapatigil sa pagbiyahe yang mga smoke belching, ugly buses na yan.

Court junks MMDA terminal closure petition

First posted 11:17pm (Mla time) Nov 30, 2005
By Tina G. Santos
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on Page A19 of the December 1, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has suffered a setback after a Manila court stood pat on its earlier decision that the agency has no power to order the closure of provincial bus terminals.

Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 has turned down the MMDA's motion for reconsideration, saying he found no cogent reason to reverse the order he issued last Sept. 8.

Pampilo earlier issued Executive Order No. 179, which was enacted upon the recommendation of the MMDA, declaring the closure of bus terminals along major thoroughfares, as "unconstitutional" and "inconsistent with the legal provisions of the Public Service Law."

"The motion for reconsideration filed by the MMDA through the Office of the Solicitor General, with opposition filed by petitioners Viron Transportation Co. Inc. and Mencorp Transportation System Inc., is hereby denied," Pampilo said in his one-paragraph ruling.

The court ruling has further derailed

the MMDA's Greater Manila Mass Transport System (GMMTS).

The traffic congestion project intends to centralize provincial bus stations by having just one northern and one southern point on Edsa.

There are plenty of unsafe busses out there and even more frightening are the deafening sound of their horns.

It really sucks that MMDA lost that case, but i think they should fight for it tooth and nail, because it is essential in decongesting EDSA. It really sucks to drive down edsa because your driving and everything is going nice and smooth then traffic comes to a stall because some bus is trying to park in the terminal. Its freakin' insane. I don't get why the court sided with the provincial terminals, can someone explain to me the legal support used by the provincial terminals to stay open? Thanks

Court junks MMDA terminal closure petition

First posted 11:17pm (Mla time) Nov 30, 2005
By Tina G. Santos
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on Page A19 of the December 1, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has suffered a setback after a Manila court stood pat on its earlier decision that the agency has no power to order the closure of provincial bus terminals.

Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 26 has turned down the MMDA's motion for reconsideration, saying he found no cogent reason to reverse the order he issued last Sept. 8.

Pampilo earlier issued Executive Order No. 179, which was enacted upon the recommendation of the MMDA, declaring the closure of bus terminals along major thoroughfares, as "unconstitutional" and "inconsistent with the legal provisions of the Public Service Law."

"The motion for reconsideration filed by the MMDA through the Office of the Solicitor General, with opposition filed by petitioners Viron Transportation Co. Inc. and Mencorp Transportation System Inc., is hereby denied," Pampilo said in his one-paragraph ruling.

The court ruling has further derailed

the MMDA's Greater Manila Mass Transport System (GMMTS).

The traffic congestion project intends to centralize provincial bus stations by having just one northern and one southern point on Edsa.

A setback indeed...too bad, a centralized bus station would be more productive and organized. but law is law...

This is sad. It's frustrating to see some stubborn people oppose development just protect their business. Provincial bus terminals along EDSA should be demolished to make way for a more organized system like that MMDA project. I hate those anti-development people.

oo nga when are these buses coming out ? I want to see these new non pollutive buses on the slex and have them on edsa , the sooner the better

whoa there is another bus thread pala. maybe we should merge this.

mmda is so weak, I miss imelda and her Ministry of Human Settlement and the MMC.

Its taking them a long time to release the buses. I thought by this time, a lot of them would be on the streets already.

BTW, how many ethanol buses are on the MM roads now?

^^^ i havent seen any yet... siguro propaganda lang yon by HM Transport... with pictures pa remember??

Kasi yung mga MM mayors masyadong pa-pogi. Nakakainis.

MMDA should be more powerful than it already is

may thread pala para sa buses. parati akong nagbubus pauwi mula buendia/taft hanggang edsa/guadalupe. pansin ko lang maraming pangit at iniipis (yung maliliit pa!), maraming pumapasok para manghingi ng donasyon (kesyo group daw sila na nagdodonate ng wheelchairsa and hearing aids or asawa ng taong may cancer) and hindi parepareho ang singil nila (12php-15php ang biyahe depende sa kunduktor) mula nang magtaas ang presyo ng fare. minsan ung marikina auto line na ordinary (di aircon) siningil ako ng 15php. amp talaga.

nagagawa ko lang magbus dahil nakakarelax pauwi kumpara sa jeep na 12.50 ang singil and sobrang bagal hinto-hinto tapos traffic pa route (buendia intersection ng pasong tamo, ayala ave, makati ave at paseo de roxas)

may thread pala para sa buses. parati akong nagbubus pauwi mula buendia/taft hanggang edsa/guadalupe. pansin ko lang maraming pangit at iniipis (yung maliliit pa!), maraming pumapasok para manghingi ng donasyon (kesyo group daw sila na nagdodonate ng wheelchairsa and hearing aids or asawa ng taong may cancer) and hindi parepareho ang singil nila (12php-15php ang biyahe depende sa kunduktor) mula nang magtaas ang presyo ng fare. minsan ung marikina auto line na ordinary (di aircon) siningil ako ng 15php. amp talaga.

nagagawa ko lang magbus dahil nakakarelax pauwi kumpara sa jeep na 12.50 ang singil and sobrang bagal hinto-hinto tapos traffic pa route (buendia intersection ng pasong tamo, ayala ave, makati ave at paseo de roxas)

Fi-neature and racket na 'yan sa Crying Ladies in Sharon Cuneta. Uso na pala talaga 'yan sa Pinas. Akala ko sa NY subway lang may ganyan.

nakakaasar na. kahit sa jeeps. pagkatapos ng speech. merry christmas! tas tutugtog ng christmas carol sa flute. tas pagkukuhanin na ung envelop magsasabi ng thank you. pag alam na wala kang nilagay gagawing sarkastiko ang pasasalamat. nakaka-asar. gusto kong patayin.

MMDA should be more powerful than it already is

Yeah. We should ammend some laws to augment MMDA's power. Yun lang naman kasi ang butas na nakikita ng MM mayors. Kesyo unconstitutional daw. Kesyo natatapakan na daw yung authority nila. Ang nakakainis kasi, sobrang maka-angal ang ibang MM mayors kahit para sa development din naman yung project ng MMDA. Grrrrrr!!

^^^ dito sa south, meron din... they identify themselves as part of dalaw kalinga foundation, w/ proof of pics, website & contact no's etc...never bothered to know tho if their activity is really genuine o raket lang...

taken from an editorial from philstar.com..

CNG buses
This is the problem with the tendency of this government to mistake photo op as the program itself. Remember the big thing they played up about the CNG buses – public buses powered by natural gas from Malampaya? After the start up ceremonies in Malacañang, the follow through was less than desirable. Now, the bus operators who borrowed good money to buy these buses are complaining because the program is not really ready for implementation.

According to the magazine of the Makati Business Club, CNG bus operators have been complaining about the continued delay of the start up of the filling stations since they are paying loan interests on their newly acquired CNG buses. Although only 7 CNG buses have been delivered to operators so far, more units will arrive in the coming months. The CNG-fueled buses were supposed to run their routes starting September, when the refilling stations were scheduled to open.

The Malampaya consortium, composed of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V., Chevron-Texaco Malampaya LLC, and Philippine National Oil Co.—Exploration Corp., is responsible for the construction and management of the mother station in Batangas. The Shell group will operate the CNG refilling station in Laguna.

I e-mailed Ed Chua of Pilipinas Shell and here is his response.

Thanks for getting our side on this matter. Both the mother and daughter station are mechanically complete but when our consultant inspected the facilities (specially the mother station), said consultant found serious safety issues which need to be addressed. Note that CNG has a vapor pressure which is eight times at least that of LPG. And considering that this is the first time we are introducing CNG to the transport market in the Philippines (i.e. we have no experience locally) we do not want to take any risk.

This unfortunately means that the much awaited launching will have to be postponed until such time when our consultant is satisfied that the contractor has addressed all our safety concerns. We are hoping that this happens soon but at this point in time, I cannot yet give a definite date.

Yun naman pala. So, why the premature hoopla? And what about the poor bus operators who must pay interest on a non-performing loan? This government must learn that premature press releases or photo ops can erode what little credibility they still have. And they must take care of those bus operators who believed their schedule. Otherwise, who would believe future government programs that need early adaptors?

I knew this would happen. We looked at this a few years back and I was wondering how they would address this issue. There's a reason why cng poweris specialized in the US. And bulk supplies are almost always transported through pipe not trucks. This is seldom done as in less than .00001%. You can not assume similar processes and use the same technologies as LPG for CNG, somebody must have dropped the ball on this one. DANG. That means this project is not only pushing through immediately but has suffered a severe setback, now unless the bus operators complaints are addressed you will find no future operators of this. How sad.