P2P buses from Iloilo to Caticlan Airport, other Panay destinations launched

POINT-TO-POINT (P2P) buses between Iloilo City and the different airports within Panay Island will start services Friday, and other routes to Antique and Roxas City in Capiz will soon be opened for franchise applications. “The (initial) P2P bus routes will be effective starting on July 12, 2019 and we already have 105 P2P buses that are ready to operate on the routes,” Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 Richard Z. Osmeña said in a press conference Wednesday at the Iloilo Business Park (IBP), which will serve as the terminal in Iloilo City. The initial buses, equipped with an auto-pay system, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi, will go to the airports in Cabatuan (Iloilo), Roxas, Kalibo, and Caticlan. Southwest Tours and Vallacar Transit will serve these routes. “We are still accepting applications of other bus operators. By next week, we will open new provincial routes in Antique and Roxas City,” Mr. Osmeña said. Megaworld Corp. is opening two transport hubs worth P350 million within the IBP. “We look at it as an effort for the city, not just for Megaworld. What we want is for the economy in the city to grow because when the city is growing, we can also directly benefit from that,” Megaworld Head of Estate Management Jose Arnulfo Batac said during the press conference. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo