A unit of the air-conditioned Metro Shuttle Bus. (Photo grab from Metro Shuttle Bus social media page)
KIDAPAWAN CITY – After 20-years, a Davao-City based bus firm will start servicing the Davao City-Kidapawan-Arakan route later this month that is expected to ease the burden of paying higher fares among the riding public in North Cotabato.
Retired Col. Reynato Padua, regional director of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory (LRTFRB) in the Soccsksargen Region, said three bus firms applied for a franchise to operate the Davao-Arakan route and Davao Metro Shuttle came up as the front-runner.
“It’s LTFRB central office that approved the franchise for Metro Shuttle because the areas to be served cover not only one region but inter-regional,” Padua told Church-run dxND radio station here in the vernacular.
During the 1990s, a bus firm, Annerose Express, served the route until 2000 when it ceased operations for still unknown reasons.
Commuters from Arakan, Antipas, and President Roxas, in going to Davao City, were constrained to take public utility vehicles charging higher fares prior to the coming in of the shuttle bus service.
As a start, the Davao Metro Shuttle will be fielding 15 bus units to take the route from Davao City to Sta. Cruz, Digos, and Bansalan in Davao del Sur; Makilala, Kidapawan City, Pres. Roxas, Antipas, and Arakan, in North Cotabato; then to Quezon in Bukidnon before going back to Davao City via the Bukidnon-Davao (Buda) highway.
Estimated fare for an air-conditioned bus from Davao to Arakan is PHP270, while for students or senior citizens it is PHP215. For regular bus fare, the average rate is PHP215 while the rate for student and seniors is PHP172. (PNA)
