Bus system for backpackers to start in September
A TOURIST bus connectivity that will cater to backpacking tourists in Mindanao and will cover various cities in the island is targeted to be launched on September this year under Go Mindanao, a sister company of Davao Metro Shuttle.
According to Lucio B. Jamero Jr. of Go Mindanao and guest during the weekly forum at Habi at Kape, Abreeza Ayala Malls, said the objective of the project is for Mindanao to be pushed as one of the target tourist destinations in the country adding that Caraga Region is recorded to have the highest foreign tourist arrivals.
He said unlike the usual pre-arranged and pre-booked transportation, the tourist bus connectivity will consist of 40-50 buses passing by designated tourist hubs one after the other with one-hour interval.
“The first loop that we have is Davao, Bukidnon, Cagayan, Butuan, Surigao, Compostela Valley, then to Davao Oriental. That is the northern, eastern, southern Mindanao connectivity,” said Jamero.
The project is a sixyear development program and within the six years, Jamero said they target to reach ten loops passing through the entire Mindanao. The 45-seater buses that will be used are already fully equipped with rest rooms, USB ports for phone charging, Wifi, GPS, and seats with reclining system.
He also said the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise (Tieza) and Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) are going to put up a 300-500 square meter state-of-theart tourist information center hubs in select areas that will be passed by the bus. This is where the loading and unloading of
the passengers will take place. The tourists can climb down the bus, enjoy the sceneries, or take a rest in the area while another bus will take them to another destination after an hour interval.
“The tourist information centers will be complete with tourist lounge, a shower room at the same a restroom, a PWD restroom, an office, a clinic, and at the same time a pasalubong center. The different information centers will also reflect the tourism destination where it is located. It has three components. One is the tourist information and assistance, second is the product development of the local tourism stakeholders and potentials, and the third is the destination marketing and management ,” said Jamero.
Payments for the bus fare will be done through a card ticketing system. These cards will be in the hubs and the buses and will cover an entire one loop. Jamero said the fare will be 15 to 20 percent more expensive than the regular bus pricing but it is only because they will also pay toll fees when crossing different regional borders.
Currently, the local Department of Tourism offices in the different participating provinces and the local government units are inspecting specific areas where the hubs can be put up. After the inspection, construction of these information centers will be started and is expected to last for three months. JPA