BRIEFS. transportation

Torrijos puts an end to "diablo rojo" buses

President Martín Torrijos announced yesterday that he will rid the city's streets of the infamous "diablos rojos" and that the state will take over the public transportation system.

Torrijos will put his Plan de Movilidad Urbana y Modernización del Transporte on the road once the first part of a new fleet of buses arrives.

To make good on its promise, the state is planning to buy 400 of 1,500 new buses through an international tender in the next few weeks. The buses will be assigned to the two major routes that divide the city in the northeast and southeast.

After a transition period of 18 months, which began yesterday, the new transportation system, including the buses, will be offered as concession to private enterprises.

The buses, which are expected to start circulating in the first months of 2009 and which will have two doors, air conditioning and comfortable seats, will be financed by the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF).