NAIA offers premium bus service

The government launched yesterday a premium bus service for travelers going to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The Ube Express has 21 brand new Mercedes Benz air-conditioned buses that will pick up and drop off travelers at designated points roughly every 30 minutes nearly ’round the clock, officials said.

The bus service has an automated fare collection system and a fixed rate of P150 per passenger, who can opt for booking a trip online.

The bus service is a project of the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

Ube Express general manager Garry David said the bus service has three routes: Intramuros, Roxas Boulevard and Makati central business district.

Passengers can board and alight only at the designated hotels and selected business centers.

Along Roxas Boulevard, the designated stops are Midas Hotel, Hotel Jen, Manila Hotel, Mall of Asia and Entertainment City.

In Makati, the stops are Glorietta 4 and 5 and Ascott Hotel. More stops will be named in a few days, David added.

An Ube Express bus – which costs P9.8 million – can accommodate 24 passengers and is equipped with closed- circuit television cameras, a global positioning system device and Wi-Fi facility.

The buses will be handled by professionally trained drivers and transport attendants will tend to passengers’ needs, David said.

Twenty-one more buses will be available next year, he added.

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