Two Solid North buses to ferry Baguio tourists

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY  – The city government is awaiting the delivery of a brand-new bus unit from the management of Pangasinan Solid North that will be used in ferrying tourists from the city’s central business district to tourist spots on a hop on, hop off basis.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said aside from the brand-new bus, the city government will also receive a brand new unit of the company impounded after the Land Transportation Office (LTO) reportedly agreed to waive the over P1 million penalty imposed for alleged violations of existing laws, rules and regulations.

Earlier, the management of Victory Liner donated to the city government a bus which is now being used to ferry employees of the city from identified staging points in the different parts of the city up to the city hall among other prescribed purposes.

The city chief executive stated that upon learning that Victory Liner donated a bus to the city, the owner of Solid North allegedly called him up to commit the donation of a brand new bus aside from allowing the city to take hold of an impounded bus of the company because of still unpaid fines as a result of violations.

According to him, these buses will be used by the city government to experiment the hop on, hop off scheme from established points in the city’s central business district to the different tourist destinations, especially during weekends and special occasions.

The City General Services Office will take custody of the donated buses, including the required documents, and for the said office to ensure that the same are in good running condition to serve their purposes.

The Pangasinan Solid North and the Victory Liner are two bus companies providing transportation services to the people going in and out of the city.

The maintenance of the bus donated by the Victory Liner will be undertaken by the giant bus company while the conditions on the bus that will be donated by Solid North remains uncertain to date.

Victory Liner made the donation to the city government even as their terminal along Gov. Pack road was removed and consolidated with its existing terminal in Barangay Marcoville.

On the other hand, Solid North also made the donation to the city government even as the number of slots for its parking along Gov. Pack road was significantly reduced because of the city government’s effort to reduce the traffic congestion along the roadline, especially during rush hours and peak tourism arrivals.

The city government expressed its gratitude to the two bus companies for donating some of their buses to the city for its transportation requirements and other services.

At present, the Victory Liner bus is now providing shuttle services for officials and employees of the city government from established waiting areas in the different barangays up to the city hall prior to the working schedule to help lessen the burden of residents having to wait for a long time in their jeepney stations for a ride that is caught in traffic.