“The Department of Transportation has the new routes planned for Puerto Vallarta and are working with the carriers for finalization and then we will announce the new routes to the residents,” said the secretary.
“There are currently 450 units running in the Puerto Vallarta area, we will reduce that to less than 350. We have too many buses operating in the city, and the current model isn’t working. We will establish a new model of transportation with designated stops and schedules,” he added.
The official also announced that the bus alliances and unions will no longer exist in their current state.
Currently the transportation system consists of private bus owners paying licensing fees to the state and unions, there is very little government involvement in the public transportation system. It’s unlikely that the structure will change.
A reduced number of buses on the roads could result in less competition, as each bus owner is their own small business. Due to the system structure many buses race to pick up passengers on routes overcrowded with buses resulting in public safety issues. Over 40 people have been killed by buses in the State of Jalisco this year.
This is a breaking news based on a news conference from the Secretary of Transportation. Vallarta Daily will keep you informed of new developments as they are released by the state transportation department (Movilidad de Jalisco).
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I have a 17 second video of a (young ie. inexperienced) bus driver sending text messages while driving through Coapinole. Never takes his eyes of his phone. Thankfully the lights worked in our favour. I sent it to a couple newspapers, radio etc… never heard anything about it. I was so pissed – I yelled at him in terrible Spanish. He didnt even blink an eye.
There are many changes that could be made regarding the bus system in Jalisco, however I do not believe that taking 100 buses off the streets will solve anything. If they do this, they should be replaced by smaller buses, like 20/30 passenger types. I have ridden on buses in the past where I actually feared for my safety, the government needs to help these drivers up date or replace their respective vehicles. Having said this, I will continue to ride the bus while visiting PV, as I do not have a veh of my own while there, and have no choice. I also take taxi’s at times, however, some of them are not much better than the bus…walking is a viable alternative as well, and when ever possible, this is what I do..:) Whatever happens, I hope it will be a positive change for the betterment for all concerned, drivers and passengers alike….
My husband and I travel to Vallarta from England once. Year to see our niece who works as a marine Biologist around Vallarta. We love the buses as we do not need to hire a car to get around. We have been to Punta la Mita, Sausalita, Tepic , Bocar de Tomatin, all by bus. The journeys are always eventful but the centro ones are a bit uncomfortable due to the cobbled streets. Let’s hope they don’t make too many changes. We travelled on one bus last year from the port into the centre of Vallarta and the driver was so busy counting his money he did not look at the road once . ..
I agree with Justin Loman. We took a bus downtown this afternoon and the driver was a maniac. We almost got off and waited for another bus because he was slinging us around so much. Coming home we got an entirely different type of driver. I thanked him for his wonderful driving when we got off. He drove a proper speed, never tossed us around once and it was such a pleasant change. I have to say I would love to see some of the really unsafe busses off the road – grinding brakes, terrible suspension, etc. but I do feel badly for the 100 drivers who will be out of work because it may be some of the few good drivers.
I don’t see where the headline is saying that Puerto Vallarta is getting rid of all buses so people are getting a bit excited wondering how people will get to work. They will wait 8 minutes instead of 4 minutes for the bus. You know last month a 3 year old girl was killed in Vallarta by a bus, the driver was in such a hurry because he knows there are too many buses on his route and he doesn’t get paid if the bus in front of him picks up the people waiting. So a little girl is dead and you all are bitching about having to wait a few more minutes. Looks kind of pathetic. These bus drivers are not like the states or anywhere else, they are not paid by the city as an employee, they own the bus and their income is based on how many people they pick up, with a lot of buses on one route they race through the city trying to get the money before another bus does. They slam on breaks, sling their passengers around, and run over people for 7.5 pesos. Good ridden 100 buses.
I can’t even imagine. It seems the buses are almost always full. Maybe during slow seasons like late Aug. – early Oct. they could reduce the buses, but the rest of the time they always seem full. What are people supposed to do. Sounds like this could be disaster in the making.
Many of us count on the buses to get around and appreciate that we don’t have to wait too long for the right one to come along. The empty ones you see downtown quickly fill up and even have standing room only. The bus drivers get to know you and it is a part of the culture that makes PuertoVallarta what it is.
Flip a coin for this 1. More waiting for people but more safer for people walking around
In SMA we need more smaller, less polluting buses.
horrible idea how will people get around
On the other 400 buses.
working people in PV need these buses to get to and from work they don’t live in huge condo’s downtown or on the beach
I am aware of that. I am one of those working people without a car that need to get around. But the story does not say anything about routes being cut out of service.
This will be great if it eliminates the number of buses in town and not just in outlaying areas.
I live in old town, the number of buses I see that are EMPY or 1 or 2 people, sometimes are 8 buses on a road like this. Not to mention the number of people they ran over and kill on the road because they are not hold acountible for their crime. They have no real station in old town. Which it’s where they do mechanic work and leave oil and antifreeze that kill dogs. No respect to the neighbors nor to turis!
We all know public transportation it’s needed and we all benefit from it. This system it’s NOT working and needs to be change.
I wish they would get some decent buses that are not falling apart and were air conditioned. Government should have and enforce some standards.
Re routing is also a priority
Incorporate mini busses and eliminate all the gas guzzlers! Hooray!
That’s a lot of people out of work. There has to be a better way, the system now is crazy.
This sucks. NO respect for the people who work here….
This is a horrendous, corrupt, dangerous system. It is not owned or operated by the municipal government, as many think. The buses are privately owned and routes are licensed by government. Pay the right price to the right bureaucrat and get a route. That’s how it works. No real planning at all. And the “unions” are not the drivers… It is the owners Union which is solely interested in protecting their licensed routes with no change to the status quo and minimal regulation regarding vehicle safety, public safety, or drivers’ professionalism or training or safety. Change is long overdue. This change (details of which have not been made public as yet), need not put hardships on workers and other users of the system… Any well planned and coordinated system (which it certainly is not right now ) should improve service to the transit dependent public. Let’s hope this change accomplishes that. It could hardly be worse.
Should be interesting. Having lived in Colonia de Emiliano Zapata I found the buses were always full.
Okay, my 75 cents!! And who thinks this is a good idea. Have any of you ever lived outside of Cento. In the colonias where people of this area live, who work, travel, (Starting at 5am. To come to the hotels, the shops, the resturants, your maid, consturctin worker. You get right? Those people) And lets not forget the night shift. In the past 2 years, many of the bus routes to those places have been cut, due to the fact of government here. They said the currnet stuff is not working, it is less than what is was, and I am afraid it will be even more now. (To many buses in Centro) Get rid of the Union, for people who have barley anything and that may be the only way for them to have some right here. Yes, the Union. Loss of 100 or more jobs. I think this is sad. I love the bus here.
Let us know when (IF) it happens.
Well done !!
Hoping true !
Gee says it’s time for safety…
Gee, never heard this before (joke)!