Green Frog eyes 200 buses, more routes in next three years

Green Frog Hybrid Bus Co., country's first hybrid bus operator, will soon add four new routes in its operations, a move to be followed by a plan to expand with 200 more fleet over the next three years.

Philip Go Apostol, founder and chief executive officer Green Frog, said that three years after starting to operate, Green Frog is now mulling over expansion to take advantage of the growing demand for upgraded buses within Metro Manila.

"We have applications with the Department of Transportation. We applied for four routes and I hope they grant us the routes because we want to expand," Apostol said in an interview.

"If you're going to look at the new buses that are out now, basically, we started that three years ago. We are the first one who came out with buses with low-floor, two-door, air-conditioned, with CCTV [closed-circuit television], and uses tap card as payment system. So I think, we have a good effect on the industry. We are the first one to came up with upgraded buses and now everyone is following," he added.

Apostol said these additional routes will be concentrated within Metro Manila.

As for the number of buses, he said the company is looking to expand with 200 buses over the next three years.

These hybrid buses, according to him, will be assembled in China and would cost at about R5 million each or less.

As of now, Green Frog has 12 existing hybrid buses that travels daily on a 30minute interval from Pasay to Kalayaan (C-5). It was in 2013 when Green Frog piloted in Makati.