Bus Lines in The Philippines

[renell]

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

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

[ryanr]

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

[renell]

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

[kiretoce]

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.

[pau_p1]

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

[ryanr]

Its more of a European type bus station than an american

[amras]

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

[mysaong03]

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...

[renell]

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

[ewh1]

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

[mhe-ann]

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.

[ryanr]

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

[ryanr]

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. I remember taking a 9-hour bus ride in the US with Greyhound, it was pretty hard.

[bagel]

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.

[Æsahættr]

Originally Posted by boybaha

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!

[stephencua]

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..

[ewh1]

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.

[a-wire_2.0]

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

[ryanr]

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