Airport service launched

Premium airport bus service Ube Express was formally launched Tuesday, with the aim of providing flyers at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport an alternative mode of transportation to areas in Metro Manila.

The company, operated by Airfreight 2100 Inc., was launched in partnership with the transportation department.

Ube Express president Garrie David told reporters they were starting off by moving passengers between the Naia airport terminals and two destinations, Manila and the Makati business district.

The fare was fixed at P300 but David said they have applied to launch a P150 per trip promo. Destinations included certain hotels and shopping malls.

David said the bus would make stops at malls in Manila controlled by SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Robinsons Land Corp. For Makati, they were in talks with Ayala Land Inc.’s Greenbelt.

Eventually, the company hopes to serve Alabang and Ortigas, he added. This would help Ube Express better use its fleet of buses. Right now, Ube Express operates 21 buses but it was allowed to operate up to 42 buses, he said.

Ube Express uses Mercedes MCV C 120 Low-Entry model buses. Units also come with GPS tracking, radio communications, onboard wi-fi, and CCTV cameras. David said buses would be made available every 20 minutes.

The premium airport bus was among the new projects Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade promised within the first 100 days of the incumbent Duterte administration.

Tugade said other projects that would be completed in 100 days were free wi-fi in key public transport sites, processing of the backlog in car license plates and a resolution to the common railway station row that erupted between the SM Group and the transport department under the Aquino administration. Miguel R. Camus