DAVAO CITY – Seven modern electric and fully-air conditioned Business for Environmentally Sustainable Transformation (BEST) Buses have started plying  the streets of downtown Davao City, offering free rides to local passengers for six months.

During her live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5), Mayor Sara Duterte said that the e-buses have started servicing local passengers since last Monday after she and Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) president and chief operating officer Rodger S. Velasco signed a memorandum of agreement for the BEST Bus Project.

Each e-bus has a seating capacity of 30 persons, but has been reduced by half to maintain physical distancing among all passengers, according to Duterte.

The e-buses, an initiative of Aboitiz Power Company and Global Electric Transport (GET) Philippines,  are servicing two routes: Downtown Ikot 1 (North Loop) from from C. Bangoy St., to Rizal St., Bolton St., Magallanes St., C.M. Recto, Acacia, Bajada, SM Lanang, Azuela Cove, R. Castillo, Carpenter, Sta. Ana Ave., and back to C. Bangoy St., and DownTown Ikot 2 (South Loop) from C. Bangoy St., to Palma Gil St., Camus, Quirino, Bankerohan, Sandawa, Quimpo Blvd., Ecoland Drive, Times Beach, Ecowest, Quimpo, Sandawa, Bankerohan, Magallanes, Boulevard, R. Magsaysay and back to C. Bangoy.

She said bus stops have already been identified along these routes.

The local government will have another discussion with the company executives towards the end of the six-month period as the city wants them to continue the services. 

“This is a big help because every penny counts in this time of pandemic. If there are free rides, let’s grab the opportunity offered by the private sector so we can save money since we don’t need to pay for the fare,” she said.

Under the agreement, Duterte said the local government committed to secure the buses including their routes.

To avail of the free bus rides, Dabawenyos must download the GET Pass application on Google Play or Apple App stores, register and secure the BEST Pass QR code which will be used for scanning upon boarding the e-buses.

The mayor did not discuss if BEST buses are a prelude to the city government’s implementation of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS) which the city wants to implement to address traffic congestion.

Last September, Duterte said the interim phase of the HPBS may start anytime soon after revealing that Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade committed to have the implementation of the project ready at an earlier date beginning November, 2021, from its original schedule of February, 2022.

Duterte said the local government will pursue the interim phase even as the “real” HPBS has yet to be implemented.