Metro Bus contract comes with lots of promises

(newsroompanama.com) An inevitable price increase and lots of promises on how Panama’s new Metro transit system will operate but no “when”, came Thursday (July 5) at the announcement of the winner of the competition for the multi million dollar contract. Mass Transit Panama, is the winner of the project to design, supply, and operate the new passenger mass transit system in the metropolitan area of Panama and the price will be … 45 cents a ride. Up from 25 cents.
The announcement came along with promise of “Metro Bus only” lanes, a new environmentally-friendly vehicle fleet, and a flat rate that will allow passengers to make necessary transfers at key points throughout the city. There will also be a special rate for seniors and students.
Minister of the Presidency, Jimmy Papadimitriu, who announced the long-awaited news said that with the 45 cent fare, passengers will pay much less than in the current system and claimed that all the necessary studies were carried out in order to ensure a rate that would benefit the Panamanian people.
He stressed that there will be a transition period from the current "Diablos Rojos" to the new fleet of buses. How long will that be? No answer, and no promised start date for the dedicated lanes and new buses.
The polluting and accident and breakdown prone diablos rojos will be around for a while yet.

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Original Source: http://www.newsroompanama.com/business/1525-metro-bus-contract-comes-with-lots-of-promises.html
Date Retrieved: August 6, 2010.