The Van Revolution
They’re everywhere! From Legaspi to Naga or even Manila. From Cubao to Sorsogon, Iloilo to Kalibo and onwards to Caticlan, Davao to GenSan, SM Cebu to Cordova, Tacloban to anywhere in Samar or Leyte etc etc! These vans as a mode of transport in trhis country must be taking a toll on the business of buses and jeeps. Well, they better hehe! The FX and Adventure era is slowly dissipating especially in the provinces. Different places call these different names like V-Hire, Shuttle, L3 (even if not) or just plainly van! Why are many commuters patronizing these vans – even preferring them to other modes of land transport? I have lately been observing these during my travels and my take is… - On some routes, vans run non-stop without picking passengers along the way - If they do, just a few stops as the capacity is less than a bus or jeep - They're faster than jeeps and can compete with a bus that stops everywhere - Many are (still) air-conditioned unlike the jeeps or multicabs