Bus Lines in The Philippines

[kiretoce]

Great news! 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?

[tyronne]

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

[ryanr]

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

[federal]

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"

[bagel]

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
Pictures and description: Why is it a great urban space?
PABT history (with pics)
NYC Architecture pics of the PABT

[thomasian]

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

[ryanr]

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

[olineil]

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.....

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....

[sandrin]

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.

[tyronne]

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


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.

[cusket]

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.

[bagel]

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

[ThisFire]

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.

[ewh1]

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?

[bagel]

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.

[renell]

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

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

[naughtyins0mniac]

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

[sandrin]

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...story_id=11645

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