DAVAO CITY, Aug. 9 (PIA)-The first batch of High Priority Bus System (HPBS) units consisting of 45 buses will be arriving in Davao City this month.

The HPBS is part of the comprehensive public transport modernization plan, a legacy project of Mayor Sara Duterte which is financed by an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan.

Davao City third district Councilor Conrado C. Baluran, chair of the city council committee on transportation and communications, says the 45 buses are the first batch of the initial 90 buses for the pilot test.

The buses are 50-seater airconditioned units, equipped with wi-fi and cashless payment devices. The engines are also Euro 4 compliant making them environment-friendly.

The buses will ply six routes with high passenger loads. Their fares though will be much higher than those of PUJs (Public Utility Jeepneys).

Councilor Baluran says the passengers will be more comfortable riding in the buses.

The pilot testing will not affect PUJ operations as they will still continue to operate.

The City Government is pushing for the HPBS which will service the main routes in the city with the PUJs limited to the feeder routes.

Aside from the buses, the Php 3.6 billion loan package from the ADB will include acquisition of road-right-of-way, construction of bus stops, bus depots and terminals and retrofitting of intersections.

The City had asked exemption from the PUV modernization program of the Department of Transportation as the local government wanted to push for the buses instead of the modernized PUVs. (PIA/RG Alama)