HO HO bus to be relaunched

By Julie G. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY – The Hop On – Hop Off (Ho-Ho) bus concept shall be relaunched after a meeting and agreements be done between Tourism Officer Alec Mapalo with the federation officers of public transport and Engr. Jan Borillo of the Transport Management Office anytime soon.
    A review of the HO-HO bus travel during the city hall executives’ management committee meeting revealed innovations from the original plans, which the public transport officials opposed earlier as they believed the HOHO edges their clients from them.   
    According to Mapalo, the HO-HO bus with drives during Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays shall help reduce road traffic as 50 cars at a time may not utilize the road to tourist spots. The Baguio Convention Center serves as the staging area tourists may park their vehicles and go on a tour through the bus. A park-and-ride concept, only those with vehicles parked at BCC may go through the bus’ tour routes.     
    One circuit includes the Botanical Garden-Mansion house-Mines view Park (through Gibraltar road) - Wright Park and Gov. Pack road (through Leonard Wood road and South Drive) with the use of other streets as not to aggravate traffic along main routes.
    Designated stops allow the tourists go around popular attraction areas, and get off at Gov. Pack road where they may walk to Burnham Park, the Cathedral, Session road and other interesting spots. Sceneries, shops, pasalubong booths, refreshment areas are considered for the designated stops.                
    A 15-to-20-minute waiting time at designated stops and 50-minute intervals between rides are planned, with 40 passengers allowed capacity per vehicle. Seven trips daily may be done around the given route, Mapalo said, as to dry runs conducted by tourism personnel. The visitors may have more time in tourist spots and wait for the next bus, Mapalo added. The trips start at 8:30 AM and end at 6:20 PM, with at least 290 individuals serviced.    
    The HO-HO bus is an offshoot of studies on how to lessen vehicles on the road to tourist spots, specially during weekends which since there are 40,000 arrivals, mostly in private vehicles, since May. During holy week, 60,000 were counted to have arrived in the city.
    In popular sites during peak seasons, 7,000 visitors daily have also been counted, with an average of 5 persons per vehicle.