Davao to deploy 10 buses to help alleviate traffic, initially free to riding public

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 April) — The city government will soon deploy 10 new buses offering “initially free” rides to the public as part of its efforts to improve public transportation ahead of the full rollout of the High Priority Bus System (HPBS).

Davao Bus Project manager Tristan Dwight Domingo shows reporters on Thursday (24 April 2025) a miniature model of the interim bus that could be seen on Davao City roads by the last quarter of 2025. MindaNews photo by IAN CARL ESPINOSA

Tristan Dwight Domingo, Davao Bus Project manager and assistant city administrator, said uncertainties and delays in the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project prompted the local government to purchase 10 buses from a privately-owned trucking solutions company.

In the meantime, Dabawenyos can avail of the bus rides for free because the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has not yet given clearance for the city to collect fares.

“We see that the people really need this. So it’s for free. But one reason for that is we have yet to finalize with LTFRB the collection of fares. Because I think LTFRB has not yet allowed any government agency to collect fares,” Domingo said in a press conference at the City Hall Thursday morning.

Domingo added that according to their initial feasibility and other studies, Dabawenyos prefer to pay fare just to avail ride of modern buses.

“So the plan moving forward is, of course, we have to deploy [the buses] and also learn from it, just to temper everybody’s expectations,” Domingo said.

He said the deal between the local government and AutoKid Trucking Solutions (AutoKid), a company headquartered in Quezon City which distributes Chinese-made buses, aims to alleviate the traffic situation amid the delays in the larger bus project.

But he clarified the bus project will not “magically fix traffic problems in the city.”

He admitted that currently, Davao City lacks public transportation, which is one of the key factors of traffic congestion, alongside defective traffic lights. Domingo said both will be fixed once the HPBS rolls out. Complicating the problem, he said, are the defective traffic lights.

The city’s information office reported on Monday that under the contract, AutoKid vowed to supply 10 modern, 12-meter Yutong low-floor buses to Davao City local government unit to ease traffic woes amid delays in the major modernization project.

These buses will reportedly arrive in September and begin operations in the last quarter of 2025.

Each bus costs ₱9.9 million with notable features such as GPS, bicycle racks, monitor and buzzers, and six CCTVs. These buses will intially serve seven routes, but has yet to be formalized.

The funds used to procure buses will come from the City Mayor’s Office.

Under the deal, AutoKID will supply 10 buses, with each bus accommodating 40 passengers.

The 10 buses, Domingo said, also builds on the city’s existing Peak Hours Augmentation Bus Service (PHABS), which started in 2019. Data from PHABS showed the need for more reliable public transport, prompting the city to allocate funds for new buses and support facilities.

Domingo assured that the Davao Bus Project could push through by 2027, as promised by the Department of Transportation.

In his last state of the mayor’s address in 2024, Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte revealed that Congress had stopped funding major transport initiatives in the city, including the High Priority Bus System (HPBS). This project was supposed to introduce over 1,100 modern buses, terminals, depots, and other infrastructure aimed at reducing traffic.

City councilors under Duterte’s umbrella also said that the bus project delays are “politically motivated.”

Expected to be operational by 2027, the ₱73.4-billion transportation project will cover 29 interconnected routes spanning a total of 672 kilometers.

Once operational, the bus project will commence with 29 bus routes divided into four tiers: MetroDavao which will form the core services that connect all major commercial centers along five routes, DavaoInter which will run along with eight routes connecting the inner urban areas directly to the Davao Central Business District, DavaoFeeder which will run along nine routes linking smaller centers and areas of more dispersed populations to the MetroDavao services, and DavaoLocal which will provide a link between the outer rural areas of the city and the main transport system or the integrated terminals.

Under the bus system, around 1,000 bus stops will be put 500 meters apart along the 29 bus routes around the city. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)