UBE Express adding more P2P bus routes

MANILA, Philippines — Premium airport bus service provider UBE Express, which is operated by logistics giant Air21, is investing P800 million to expand its bus fleet as it prepares to provide point-to-point (P2P) bus service to more routes this month.

UBE Express president Garrie David said the P2P buses would start plying four new routes this month, including to and from Araneta Center in Cubao which was launched yesterday.

“The new routes we have are Araneta Center, Robinsons in Ortigas, Nuvali in Sta. Rosa and also in Alabang. All will be launched within the month,” David said.

UBE Express will offer P2P bus service from the four destinations to the four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), and vice versa.

The company’s routes currently cover stops in the Makati central business district, Entertainment City in Roxas Boulevard, and Intramuros.

David said the company has ordered 79 new buses to add to its existing 60 fleet.

He said the buses, which costs around P10 million each, will come from Germany and are expected to arrive within the year. Each bus has a seating capacity of 33 and is equipped with onboard WiFi, CCTV cameras, GPS technology, and easy access to persons with disabilities.

David said four units would be initially deployed to each of the four new routes.

“We can deploy immediately but the question is, is there a ready market. So what we’re doing is we’re waiting. Once the demand becomes stronger then we can deploy more units,” he said.

“We will make people feel that there is a very good alternative if you let them experience the ultimate passenger experience,” David added.

The Araneta Center-NAIA premium P2P bus service will begin operations today with a fare of P100 per head.

David said the new service would be a boost for commutes from the northeastern part of Metro Manila who are bound for or coming from the airport.

He said it is also highly valuable to the many expats and foreign visitors staying in the Araneta Center and its neighboring communities.

The first Araneta Center bound P2P bus from NAIA will leave at 5:30 a.m., while the last trip will be at 9 p.m.