TRANSPORTATION service provider UBE Express and Araneta Center, Inc. said a new point-to-point (P2P) bus service from Cubao, Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will start operating today, Tuesday.
The 33-seater buses will travel 24 hours a day to and from the Araneta Center Bus Station and NAIA Terminals 1 to 4. The one-way fare is P100.
UBE Express Garrie A. David told reporters on the sidelines of the launching event the Cubao-NAIA route is the first of four routes it plans to open in September.
“We have three existing (routes from) Intramuros, MoA (SM Mall of Asia) then Makati. And the new routes we have are Araneta Center, Cubao; Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas; Nuvali in Sta. Rosa; and also Alabang. We’ll launch services one by one within the month,” he said.
The company currently has a fleet of 56 buses and expects the delivery of 79 more on order before the end of the year. Mr. David said each bus is air-conditioned, is equipped to serve persons with disabilities, and offers Wi-Fi connectivity and CCTV security.
Mr. David said four buses will be rolled out per route with departures set hourly. If demand increases, the company has the option to deploy more buses or shorten the interval between trips.
“We will always start with four. We take into consideration the demand. Once we have enough riders we’ll add more buses,” he said.
Mr. David estimates the comparable taxi fare between Cubao and the airport at P900.
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Board Member Aileen Lourdes A. Lizada told BusinessWorld she hopes the new bus service will also reduce the volume of cars on the road.
“If you are able to convince all of those going to NAIA or working in NAIA to leave their cars behind, that means reduced traffic,” she said.
Mr. David said the company is also keeping an eye out for other destinations it can serve via EDSA.
“We want to offer an alternative. If we offer (a more advanced bus system), then we can make the others irrelevant. That’s what we’re trying to do right now,” he said, noting the process by which ride-sharing services put pressure on traditional taxi companies. — Denise A. Valdez
