3rd bus terminal opens as users complain about the first

A THIRD bus station which will serve 13 Metro routes, begins operation Friday, September 27, while passengers are loudly denouncing the first that opened September 10.

The latest station is in Parque Lefevre and a among others will feed routes to Don Bosco, Felipillo, La Doña, Tocumen, Pedregal, San Joaquín, San Pedro and Panamá Viejo, said Lilianne Thompson of the Secretariat of the Presidency

Minister of the Presidency Roberto Henríquez, responding to some of the criticisms about the new stations that have been opened, said a review of them will be conducted in January.
He said that is when Line One of the Metro will be operational.
Roberto Moreno, director of the transit authority ATTT, said that the new stations, which include machines to recharge the Metro cards, have reduced the time required to board a bus from eight to three minutes.
Miguel Cardona, manager of Mi Bus, reported that 36 new buses are in the country and will be brought into service in the coming weeks as they are registered.
He said this will improve service.
 But la Prensa reports that users are still unhappy with the new bus station in El Marañón that opened earlier this month.
THey are upset about the lack of seats, the lack of facilities for the disabled and long waits for service. They say that they must wait for up to two hours for a bus, which is made worse due to the lack of benches.
They also said the station is poorly designed as they face long walks to and from the buses.
Mi Bus General Manager Miguel Cardona said that tservice will improve when the system is integrated to the Panama Metro and the road realignment project is finished
The company has opened three of 21 new stations, with the others in Los Pueblos and Balboa. Nine more will be finished in the next nine months.