DOTr launches Clark-Manila bus route

CLARK

FREEPORT — The first premium Point-to-Point (P2P) bus service in Pampanga kicked off yesterday its newest Clark–Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and Clark–North EDSA, Quezon City routes.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade led the official launching of the Genesis P2P bus service which will ferry passengers coming from Clark International Airport going to NAIA-3 and vice versa.

Starting September 15, the Clark–NAIA route will have stopovers in Robinson’s Galleria and Resorts World Manila, where passengers may be dropped off or picked up. Another route, Clark–Trinoma in North EDSA and vice-versa, will also be available.

According to Genesis Transport Service Inc. Operations Manager Rely Jalbuna, 10 buses will be deployed to start their bus service which will have their first trip at 4:00 am and last trip at 9:00 pm for both routes.

Fare is P350 from Clark to NAIA and Resorts World, P300 to Robinson’s Galleria, and P250 to Tr i noma.

Jalbuna said Genesis was the de facto bus link of Clark to the outside world even before the bidding, as it operated the shuttle service between Clark airport and points in Metro Manila.

“Clark and Genesis have been partners for years on a shuttle operation basis. That we won in the bidding for the P2P bus service based at Clark just sealed out a permanent partnership,” he added.

Genesis won the public bidding for the 48 franchised lines where it will roll out its brandnew units for the P2P buses to serve the two routes.

The buses can cater to 50 passengers and are equipped with comfortable reclining seats, Wi-Fi, GPS, CCTV, charging stations for mobile gadgets and other safety features. These features are expected to make the long distance travel from Pampanga to Manila a lot safer and more comfortable.

During the launching, Tugade said that the P2P bus service is a project that he always felt would improve travel in the country.

“The P2P is a very laudable project that must be pushed, pushed, pushed. We started with just four P2P routes and now we have 12,” Tugade said.

The secretary said the DoTR is eyeing to have 66 P2P bus service by the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

Tugade also announced the launch of six more routes from Clark before the end of the year. Among those routes are Clark-Lubao, Pampanga; ClarkDagupan, Pangasinan; Clark-Subic, Zambales; ClarkMalolos, Bulacan; Clark-Tarlac; and Clark-San Jose in Nueva Ecija.

Attending the launch were DOTr Undersecretary for Road Tim Orbos, board members Aileen Lizada and Ronaldo Corpuz of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and Genesis President and General Manager Riza Angara Moises.