FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla - ALAS International Holdings Inc. announces that the PV Enterprises team has been working extensively to complete and sign an agreement with local authorities to establish ferry services between Panama (Port Colon 2000) and Colombia (Port of Cartagena). The 30,000 GRT 650-ft ferry that accommodates 1,600 passengers will commence daily express service between the bustling port of Colon, Panama and Cartagena de Indies, Colombia in late March/early April. The vessel can accommodate 160 trucks and up to 400 cars in addition to the 1,600 passengers. The future vision of the company is to expand the ferry operation in late 2012 to engage more islands and major ports. (Press Release)

Editor's Comment: Very cool. I don't know how much this ferry service will cost, but it's probably going to be cheaper than flying. Nice upgrade. And, it will probably put all of the sailboats carrying backpackers out of business. That's probably a good thing, because many of these operators are dangerous. A handful (like Capt. Jack) are responsible, but the dangerous drunks seem to outnumber the responsible professionals by about three to one. And, there's no oversight or government regulation.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Drivers are reporting that the roadways in the Western part of the Province of Panama (La Chorrera and Arraijan) are open and traffic is flowing. Apparently earlier reports of a road closure in Arraijan were false, incorrect, or misinformed.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

Activity at the Enrique Malek International Airport in the city of David, has increased by 30% due to the closure of the Inter American highway since 31 January 2012 by Ngäbe Bugle Indians who oppose mining in the region, and who required the reincorporation of Article 5 into Bill Number 415, which establishes a special regime for the mineral resources, water and environmental issues in the region, and which was agreed upon in 2011. Rafael Fuentes, the administrator of the Enrique Malek airport, said the situation is under control in all activities of the airport.

On the other hand, Nestor Echevers, the manager of Aeroperlas, one of the two domestic airlines, said his company is considering adding a second flight from Panama to David (at 6:50 pm) depending on the number of passengers approaching the terminal. That flight would return at night with passengers from the city of David to the capital, said Echevers on TVN Noticias.

La Prensa could confirm that in the airport in David there are more people than normal, because the land communication is interrupted by closing Ngäbe-Bugle Indians who have warned that the road will not be reopened until the authorities come to talk to them at the site where they are protesting. The people who have come to the airport in David say they have no other option than to return to Panama via plane, and they questioned the authorities who have not sought the way to end the closure of the international route. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Right now if you have to get there, flying is your only valid option.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The victims of the tainted medicines handed out by the government of Panama several years ago are protesting in front of the Social Security hospital in Panama City, and as of 3:45 pm they had blocked Via Transistmica. At that exact time I happened to be returning from the Balboa Yacht Club to my office, and I drove right into the protest, more or less. And that's why you want to drive something like a Jeep with 4x4 and high clearance, so you can jump over a curb and execute a U-turn where you're not supposed to, in case you get stuck in a protest. The little Yaris and Hyundai taxis around me didn't have that option, but I was able to get the hell out of there and drive the long way around the protest. You might want to avoid the area of Via Transistmica for the rest of the afternoon if you can. Heads up...

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

More than 10,000 of the new electronic cards that will be used to pay the bus fare on the Metrobus system have already been sold through last Sunday, according to company Sonda which is supplying the cards. The distribution process began on January 26 and Sonda expects to sell, starting this week, an average of 27,000 cards per day. Daniel Guerra, manager of the company Sonda, said this week they will begin an outreach campaign so that Metrobus users will begin to acquire the new electronic cards now, and not wait until 14 February 2012, the last day cash will be accepted on the Metrobus system. Yesterday, Sonda, the company in charge of financial collection of the new transportation system in the capital of Panama City and the district of San Miguelito district, made the cards available for sale by street vendors, at bus stops, and at shopping centers located close to Metrobus routes. El La Doña commercial center ni 24 de Diciembre, Parque Real en Las Mañanitas, Las Acacias, Los Andes and Torrijos Carter, among others, are the places where Sonda have been selling and recharging the electronic cards that function as electronic wallets.

More Than 700,000 Trips Per Day: According to studies conducted by Sonda, in the district of Panama and San Miguelito, an average of 350,000 people were transported by Metrobus. Therefore some 700,000 round trips every day that are being made in the different sectors. Given this expectation, Guerra recommended that Metrobus passengers should charge the card to make the round trips a passenger can expect to make during the week on the main routes Monday through Saturday, which would represent a total of three dollars. He clarified that the minimum recharge for the electronic purses is 50 cents, while the maximum amount is $50.

More Disclosure Required: An explanation of why the cards have a fee of two dollars was requested by the president of the Movement October 23, David Ramirez, who participated in the evaluation committee for the election of the financial manager. According to Ramirez, the statement of objections to the contract stated that the first 250,000 cards would be delivered free of charge. The limited disclosure of this new system has been questioned by Ramirez, who said the information campaign should start with one month in advance to avoid confusion between users. (Siglo)

Editor's Comment: You might want to get one of these cards, charge it with $5 bucks, and stick it in your wallet even if you don't ride the Metrobus regularly. Because, in an emergency, if you don't have cash you can't just hop on a bus and pay with the change in your pocket. In the past I've found myself in many situations when I've had to simply hop on a bus unexpectedly.   

The citizens of Panama don't know how the new system that will be used to pay bus fare on the new Metro Bus is going to work. The use of the electronic swipe cards will take affect on 15 February 2012. Some say they prefer to pay with coins rather than use the card, because they consider the new system to be more complicated. The company Sonda announced that as of February 15 they will start to implement the cards to pay to ride on the Metro Bus. The card will have an initial cost of $2.00 (two dollars), more money can be added to the card above this amount, and it will be transferable, although the intention is for the cards to eventually be individualized so that each person can carry their own, according to Sonda. Schools students will also have to pay using the card, which will be white in color. Bus fare will still be 25 cents for trunk routes, and $1.25 for those routes using the Northern and Southern Corridors, and 10 cents for students. Sonda promised to launch a campaign to guide the population on the use of the card. (TVN)   

The company My Bus, opened today, Thursday 19 January, a new Metreobús route from San Antonio and the Northern Corridor, which also will service the neighborhoods of Cerro Viento and Brisas del Golf. The new route will benefit residents of the area, who previously did not have bus service. The new route will run from the Los Pueblos mall, through the neighborhoods mentioned above, then through the Northern Corridor to the exit at Martin Sosa (Hosannna Church) and will culminate in El Marañon. Like other routes using the Northern and Southern Corridors, the price will be $1.25, facilitating the mobility of users towards the capital city and vice versa. The acting Director of the Ground Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT), Roberto Moreno, said on TVN News that faced with the delays in the opening of new routes to be serviced by the new Metro Bus system, they would reduce the paperwork needed to license Metro Bus drivers. He said a decree has to be signed that would allow them to grant a commercial driver's license to those who have completed training courses at the INADEH using simulators for Metro Bus operators. (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: The Metro Bus system continues to slowly expand and cover more and more parts of the city. With each new route opened, you will see fewer and fewer of the old "Red Devil" buses. The neighborhoods of San Antonio, Cerro Viento, and Brisas del Golf are the very large and expansive residential areas located basically "behind" the new Metro Mall, across the street from the Los Pueblos shopping mall. These buses will shuttle people back and forth from these areas to the heart of the city. Once in town the buses will make a loop around the area of Calidonia before returning via the Northern Corridor. For the uninitiated, all bus routes in Panama run in a circle. If you get on any bus and sit there long enough, you will eventually be returned to the exact point where you got on. Actually - that's not a bad idea - touring Panama City via Metro Bus on the cheap.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Today at noon I was waiting for a friend, we were going to get together for lunch. I noticed an unusual number of traffic cops were out and about, walking up and down the street, and writing parking tickets on cars that were illegally parked. My friend showed up, and we sat down to eat. Then a few minutes later a tow truck showed up. The cops had (miraculously) ordered a car to be towed which was parked on the corner. This is the first time in 25 years I've seen the cops towing away an illegally parked car. I asked the ranking cop on the scene and he quoted the law to me chapter and verse. If an illegally parked car is blocking access to a fire hydrant, a cross walk, or blocking an intersection, then they will order it to be towed away. In the case of this car that's being towed in the video, the police officer explained it was parked in such a manner as to make it more difficult for traffic to make the turn - so therefore they towed it. I asked the cop if this was the first car they had towed today, and he said it was the third or fourth. Anyone who has their car towed away will first have to pay the fine which can range from $50 to $100 dollars. Then they will have to pay for the towing which is about $70 bucks, plus storage if you don't get your car right away. And, all of the Panamanian news outlets are carrying similar stories. The two trucks are out there, so be careful where you park.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Panama's Ground Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) announced they expect a significant increase in traffic and the number of cars returning from the interior of the country to the capital Panama City, starting at about 4:00 pm this afternoon. Thousands of Panamanians took advantage of the long weekend for Martyr's Day by spending the time out of the city at the beaches or in the interior of the country. And as with every holiday, all of those people will now be returning to their homes today, to be ready to return to work tomorrow morning. So if you're planning to be driving from the interior to Panama City this afternoon plan ahead, take your time, and expect heavy traffic and delays.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

The director of the Transit Authority and Land Transport (ATTT), Jorge Ricardo Fabrega, spoke this Monday, January 9, about the possible merger of the Directorate of Traffic Operations (DNOT) of the National Police and the entity he manages. According to Fabrega, it is a possibility that is at the level of analysis. The director of the ATTT told La Prensa that he did not want to speculate. However, he admitted the issue is not new and is being considered. "This is not an imminent change," he said.

La Prensa published today in the coming months the police officers who currently work for the DNOT will pass to the ATTT, in a step being taken in an effort to address looming problems with traffic congestion, mainly in the capital of Panama City. The traffic authorities themselves have admitted in the coming months there will be more frequent traffic jams due to public works projects being executed on the road infrastructure.

On the subject, Fabrega said the merger of the DNOT traffic police officers into the ATTT has been a subject of discussion since the creation of this entity, to achieve a better coordination in the regulation of traffic. "Right now this is a subject of analysis," he said. "It might happen tomorrow, or in a couple of months, or it might not happen at all," said Fabrega. Police Sub Commissioner Teofilo Moreno, the National Director of Traffic Operations, has not commented on the issue. (La Prensa)