Davao Metro Shuttle

Davao Metro Shuttle Corporation (DMS), also known as Davao Metro Shuttle Bus Company, Inc., is a large bus company in Mindanao, Philippines. It operates bus transport services in and outside Davao Region with its headquarters, main garage and offices in Davao City.[6] Its main terminals are located in Davao City and Tagum.[7]

Davao Metro Shuttle
One of Davao Metro Shuttle's Volvo B8R buses plying the Davao-Metro Manila/PITX route in Davao City
Founded1995 (1995)
Commenced operation1996 (Bus)
HeadquartersEcoland Drive, Matina, Davao City, Mindanao, Philippines
Service areaMindanao, Visayas & Luzon
Service typeCity & Provincial Operation
AllianceGo-Mindanao Tour Bus (subsidiary)
Annil Transport (subsidiary)
Destinations
Fleet300+ units in total[1][2]
180 units in Davao Region and Soccsksargen[3][4]
60 units in Caraga
30 units in Eastern Visayas
30 units in Go-Mindanao Tour Bus subsidiary[5]
Daily ridership25,000+[3][4]
OperatorDavao Metro Shuttle Corporation
PresidentDe Carlo L. Uy
Websitehttp://davaometroshuttle.com

History

Davao Metro Shuttle started as a local taxi service in 1995 serving the city of Davao in what has been a partnership between businessmen Reynaldo T. Uy (who later went on to be mayor of Tagum) and Reynaldo Alba. When it procured its first air-conditioned bus units in 1996, its first service was the Davao-Digos route. In 1998 the company started servicing the Davao-Tagum route after purchasing 20 non-aircon bus units. In 1998 their range of service once again expanded when they started servicing the Davao-Kidapawan route using Daewoo buses.

As time went on, and as the company went cycles of financial setbacks and recovery, its service routes expanded greatly on time to include Bansalan, Malita, Monkayo, Compostela, New Bataan, & Laak.

The Davao Metro shuttle is set to launch the Go-Mindanao Tour Bus program in 2017, an initiative supported by the Department of Tourism. They are targeting to launch the route by March next year which would initially travel from the city to Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro and Butuan.[3][4][7][8]

On 2 August 2017 the company started servicing the Davao-Butuan-Nasipit route for the first time using Guilin Daewoo buses. Shortly thereafter the company's Go-Mindanao Tour Bus program officially commenced operation as a few of its units, specifically high-deck buses procured from Zhengzhou Yutong Bus covered with stickers of the Go-Mindanao Tour Bus brand, started plying the Davao-Butuan and Davao-New Bataan routes.

On 8 November 2018 the company, under its Go-Mindanao Tour Bus subsidiary brand, started plying the Butuan-Bislig route using then newly acquired Golden Dragon luxury buses, marking the first instance that, although the company bears the namesake of the city and the situate region it was mainly serving and based from, the company served completely outside its main areas of operation.

On 15 June 2022, the company entered the Davao-Manila overland route,[9] marking the first time it serviced areas in Luzon and finally entered service in all three major Philippine island groups.

Its service area within Davao Region once again expanded in July 2023 when the company entered the Davao-Compostela-Cateel-Boston route with 18 buses in total plying vice versa.[10]

Fleet

The first bus units of Davao Metro Shuttle came from Nissan Diesel and Daewoo Bus. Later, they also have units from Hino. In 2008 they purchased units from Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus, the first in Mindanao, and in 2010 they purchased units from Zhengzhou Yutong Bus.

To date, the fleet of Davao Metro Shuttle is composed of buses and minibuses acquired from Yutong, Golden Dragon, Hino, Daewoo, Nissan Diesel, Hyundai and Volvo. The company was also the first in the Philippines to field buses from Vietnamese bus bodybuilder THACO acquired in year 2020.[11]

Currently, the company is the largest indigenous bus company in Mindanao, possessing more than 200 bus units including from its Go-Mindanao subsidiary.

  • Buses of Davao Metro Shuttle in Davao City
  • Yutong ZK6119HA Hamster
    Yutong ZK6119HA Hamster
  • Golden Dragon XML6127 Marcopolo Series 2
    Golden Dragon XML6127 Marcopolo Series 2
  • Volvo B8RLE city bus, under Annil Transport subsidiary brand
    Volvo B8RLE city bus, under Annil Transport subsidiary brand

Destinations

Despite its name, Davao Metro Shuttle not only serves the Metro Davao area. The company also operates routes in other parts of Mindanao, the Visayas and Luzon.

Davao Region
A Davao Metro Shuttle—Go Mindanao Tour Bus unit in Davao City.

Davao Region is the main and home operational area of Davao Metro Shuttle, with the overland transport terminals of the cities of Davao and Tagum serving as its main hubs. Also, the Davao-Tagum express route had its main hub and terminal at Ayala Abreeza Mall in J.P. Laurel St., Davao City.

Living up to its name, Davao Metro Shuttle also offers city shuttle routes within Davao City as part of the city's Peak-Hour Augmentation Bus Service program.[12] Augmenting it is its acquisition of the local city liner Annil Transport in September 2019, therefore expanding its shuttle service area within the city.[1]

Soccsksargen Region
One of Davao Metro Shuttle's Yutong buses plying Davao-Kidapawan route in Makilala, North Cotabato province.

Davao Metro Shuttle's North Cotabato branch and garage is located in Bartolaba Subdivision, Barangay Lanao, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato. While serving the area with its routes to the cities of Davao and Digos in Davao Region, locally it also serves the Kidapawan-Arakan route from its local hub in Kidapawan City Overland Terminal, Barangay Poblacion, Kidapawan City.

Caraga Region
Go Mindanao Bus

Davao Metro Shuttle has its Caraga regional branch located in Barangay Bading, Butuan, Agusan del Norte. Destinations solely within Caraga region are mostly served by the company's tourist line subsidiary, Go-Mindanao Tour Bus.

Eastern Visayas
One of Davao Metro Shuttle's Golden Dragon buses serving Davao-Allen via Tacloban.

The entrance of Davao Metro Shuttle in Leyte on 5 July 2019 marked the first time the company ventured outside its main areas of operation in Mindanao and the second time the company operated outside its home operational area at Davao Region. Its Eastern Visayas branch office is located at War Veterans Avenue, Ormoc City, Leyte.

Luzon
One of Davao Metro Shuttle's Volvo THACO Bluesky buses parked inside Davao City Overland Transport Terminal, bound for Metro Manila.

Davao Metro Shuttle acquired the Davao-Manila route via Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Resolution No. 2019–039 in early 2021.[13] It launched the said route on 15 June 2022 with 15 bus units acquired from THACO with the inauguration held at Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) in Metro Manila,[9][14] marking the first time the company rendered service within Metro Manila and Luzon and serving an inter-island overland route that spanned Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao which is the longest overland bus route in the Philippines.

See also

References
  1. Maya Padillo. "Davao Metro Shuttle starts serving city routes". Edge Davao. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  2. Maya M. Padillo. "Davao Metro Shuttle starts serving intracity route". BusinessWorld. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  3. Ace June Rell S. Perez (6 October 2016). "Leading to success". Sun.Star Davao. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  4. Ace June Rell S. Perez (2 October 2016). "Mindanao Tour Bus hits road in 2017". Sun.Star Davao. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. Department of Foreign Affairs. "NEW TRANSPORT COMPANY AIMS TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN MINDANAO". Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  6. Edwin Fernandez (21 January 2020). "Bus firm to start servicing Davao-Arakan route soon". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  7. Kristianne Fusilero (3 October 2016). "Metro Shuttle expands service to tour local and foreign visitors". Mindanao Times. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  8. Carmencita A. Carillo (5 October 2016). "Davao firm to invest P100M for tourist buses". BusinessWorld. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  9. Ted Cordero (15 June 2022). "PITX-Davao City route launched, one-way fare at P3,680". GMA News. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  10. Rhoda Grace Saron (10 July 2023). "18 buses to service Davao City-Boston, DavOr route". Mindanao Times. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  11. "Davao Metro Shuttle to be the first THACO operator in PH". Transport.PH. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  12. Regina Mae Ronquillo (August 4, 2019). "12 more modern buses to ply underserved areas in the city". Mindanao Times. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
  13. https://ltfrb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/7.-RESOLUTION-NO.007-S.2021.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi8hraz2K_4AhUFCKYKHYnYDMsQFnoECCIQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1YCKz5pUzjNPDZduUhbqaM
  14. Daphne Galvez (15 June 2022). "New bus route from PITX to Davao City opens". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
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