Deluxe buses offer faster, more comfortable ride for passengers

For commuters dreading the long and often uncomfortable bus ride to nearby provinces, bus companies now offer 'deluxe buses' that make trips faster and even relaxing. A report on GMA News TV's morning newscast "News To Go" showed several kinds of deluxe buses that ply the provincial route, especially for the All Saints' Day long weekend.

One deluxe bus has bigger seats and more spacious legroom for its passengers. Apart from the usual TV set on board, wireless Internet is also available for guests who want to surf the web. Deluxe buses also have a stewardess who attend to passengers' needs. Meanwhile, passengers who are traveling to even farther provinces can opt to take a "sleeper bus," which have fully reclining seats meant for long trips usually taken at night. Sleeper buses have two levels of seats that can accommodate up to 34 passengers at a time. Fares for deluxe and sleeper buses are a couple of hundred pesos more expensive than ordinary air-conditioned buses. An regular bus fare to Baguio, for example, is P445, while the deluxe bus fare is P750. Meanwhile, a regular bus trip to Laoag in Ilocos Norte costs P650, while the sleeper bus costs P800. But passengers are willing to spend the extra pesos on deluxe and sleeper buses, not only because of its amenities but also because it gets to its destination faster. "Convenient itong (bus) kasi maluwag 'yung space, nakaka-relax ka," said one passenger. "Kapag naiihi, wala nang stop. Short 'yung oras pagdating doon, so okay naman siya." — with Candice Montenegro/RSJ, GMA News