By Desiree Caluza
PASSENGERS prepare to embark on a non-stop luxury ride to Cubao courtesy of JoyBus. PHOTO BY EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
BAGUIO CITY—A bus company servicing routes in northern and central Luzon has entered the express service market to offer Baguio residents, tourists and business travelers a choice in a market dominated by a 60-year-old company.
And JoyBus, the executive coach of the Genesis Transport Service Inc. (GTSI), promises to give its passengers a “joy ride,” with their comfort and safety in mind.
“This is a great opportunity for buses to [join the] trend of express travel. This kind of land travel is very economical for those who want to get to their destination quickly, while enjoying the [view of the countryside],” says Loren Zubia, GTSI marketing manager.
Zubia states that for a one-way fare of P650, which is lower than the P715 fare offered by Victory Liner for its de luxe buses, the 28-seat bus gives passengers comfort in their four- to five-hour non-stop travel from the summer capital to Metro Manila.
The JoyBus is equipped with a toilet and has wi-fi service so passengers can connect to the Internet to work or while their time away while on the road. Snacks and bottled water are available for passengers during the trip.
JOYBUS is the new fleet to offer non-stop luxury trips from Baguio to Manila. PHOTO BY EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Zubia says a bus stewardess is on hand to assist passengers. These stewardesses, she says, are graduates of tourism-related courses and underwent training in food and beverage handling.
Marilou Avila, head of training and seminars of GTSI, says most passengers will find traveling on a JoyBus more comfortable than local airlines.
“For example, our bus has blankets for passengers. Local airlines don’t provide it,” she says.
Zubia says since the Baguio-Cubao-Baguio and Baguio-Avenida-Baguio trips were launched in April, the company has been seeing the demand rise and has planned to acquire new buses for additional trips.
She says the brand, “JoyBus,” was coined by the GTSI president Riza Moises. “We want our passengers to experience joy, superior comfort and satisfaction [when they travel],” Zubia says.
In 2011, GTSI launched JoyBus’ Baler (Aurora)-Avenida-Baler route with two trips. The Baguio trips came next.
GTSI, Zubia says, is planning to add the pilgrimage town of Manaoag in Pangasinan in its JoyBus routes to service pilgrims.
Droy Jalbuna, GTSI operations manager, says they were targeting tourist destinations as their major market to help boost local tourism.
GTSI officials say that with the successful launch of JoyBus, the company that started from three shuttle buses 21 years ago, is gearing for a larger share of the public transport market in northern and central Luzon.
The company is among the top players in the industry, with 400 buses plying various Luzon provinces.
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