By Saúl Quintero Quirós for El Siglo - Each bus will cost $181,000 dollars. As soon as the Panamanian Ground Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) make the results of the government bid process for the Transmóvil project official, the manufacturer will begin to produce the first units what will be delivered to Panama within 90 days. The buses, that will be guaranteed for two years and will come at a cost of $181,000 per unit, will have a fire extinguishing system in the motor compartment and eight emergency exits. Joannis Peñaloza, the manager of sales for Mercedes Benz, said the buses have not yet been built, but once the order is placed they will be manufactured in their factory in Sao Bernardo do Campo in Sao Paulo, Brasil. The fabrication of these buses will take three months, and once they are in Panama they will be put into circulation, however before that happens they will deliver a model bus that will allow the public to check it out, said Peñaloza. Another feature on these buses will be a speed governing system that will prevent the buses from going more than 60 kilometers per hour. The buses will be designed according to the specifications asked for by the ATTT, and the body of the buses will be made from fire retardant materials. In spite of everything, the representative of bus users on the Board of Directors of the ATTT still claims to not know the details of the new design. (See Comments)

La Critica - According to the limits published by the Panamanian Authority for Consumer Protection and the Defense of Competition (ACODECO), as of Saturday 28 February 2009, the highest allowable prices for fuel will be dropping. These prices will remain in effect until 13 March. In the provinces of Panama and Colon the price limits have been established at $2.13 per gallon for 91 octane, $2.31 for 95 octane, $1.84 for regular diesel, and $1.87 for improved diesel. In Arraiján and La Chorrera the prices are set at $2.14 for 91 octane, $2.32 for 95 octane, $1.85 for regular diesel, and $1.88 for improved diesel.

Maritime Global Net PANAMA CITY, Panama – One of the oldest operating cruise ships, the Saga Rose transited the Panama Canal as part of its final round-the-world cruise. This will be the ship’s 44th global tour, more than any other cruise ship in history. The Saga Rose arrived at the Canal February 5, following an initial departure from Southampton, England January 5. The ship will travel for more than 104 nights to destinations in the Caribbean, South America, Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, before returning to Portsmouth, England April 20. Built in 1965, the Saga Rose is dedicating its last world tour to the 60th anniversary of the modern British Commonwealth, an association of 53 states including former British colonies and territories. Beginning in late October 2009, the Saga Rose will embark on a farewell voyage in the Mediterranean before retiring December 6, 2009.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - I just received some updated information regarding the helicopter crash at Tocumen. The tail number of the helicopter was HP-AM3. There were three people aboard the aircraft and preliminary reports indicate that all three were killed in this accident. So far officials have not released their names, identities, or nationalities. The aircraft was returning from the Darien province and was scheduled to land at Albrook when the pilot reported some kind of mechanical malfunction and requested permission to land at Tocumen. According to reports, the helicopter exploded in the air. According to Panama's Public Registry, HP-AM3 is a Robinson R-44 Raven II owned by the "Atlantic Suntoys Corp."

Copyright 2008 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 - According to TVN Channel 2 news, a helicopter just crashed into the parking lot of the Tocumen International Airport, killing the three people who were aboard. More information as it becomes available...

Copyright 2008 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 - Just a reminder, Via Transistmica will be closed starting tonight at midnight. The road will be closed from the McDonald's restaurant as far as the bridge over Tumba Muerto near the brewery. The road is being closed to allow for the installation of the primary stage that will be used during the carnival celebrations. Some of the businesses in this area have already installed fences to protect their properties from carnival revelers. If you're coming from El Carmen you will still be able to cross Via Transistmica to go towards El Dorado, and you can also cross under Via Transistmica via Tumba Muerto. Tomorrow night the closure will be extended from the brewery down past the University of Panama.

Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By Mirna Ospino for the Panama America - As of tomorrow at 12:00 noon, the work to prepare for carnival celebrations will begin, and therefore the Ground Transportation and Transit Authority (ATTT) and the Carnival Board of Directors have ordered that Via Transistmica be closed, from the bridge over Tumba Muerto near the National Brewers to Paical. On Thursday, starting at 12:00 noon, the closures will extend from the bridge over Tumba Muerto near the National Brewery until the traffic signal at El Ingenio Simon Bolivar, until 66th Street West (Vista Hermosa). All drivers who use these routes on a daily basis should exercise patience, which is why Ricardo Guerra, the President of the Carnival Board, said that all drivers who come down Via Transistmica to enter the city should turn down the street toward El Ingenio, and go through Bethania in order to get to Ricardo J. Alfaro. The ATTT also announced that all of the buses from the Transistmica route will be deviated toward Tumba Muerto and those that come from the east part of the city will go toward Via España. (See Comments)

By Melquíades Vásquez for La Critica - The Frenchman Healver Joan Lewis died yesterday when the small plane with tail number HP-1367 crashed against a tree on Isla Cébaco in Panama's Veraguas province. The pilot Pablo Espinoza and French citizen Serge Antone Joseph Pérez were severely injured in the accident. The airplane from the company Panama Aircraft Rental & Sales left Albrook airport enroute to Coiba but it crashed at about 10:00 am. Samuel Ábrego, a resident of the Platanares en Cébaco, said they managed to remove both of the survivors from the burning airplane.

PANAMA CITY, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Copa Airlines, subsidiary of Copa Holdings S.A. (NYSE: CPA), has added a new Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft to its fleet, one of the youngest in the industry, with an average age of 4.3 years. "This aircraft delivery is a reflection of Copa Airlines' continued growth and helps strengthen our leadership position in Latin American aviation with a product that is both attractive to our passengers and extremely efficient for our business," said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines. The high-tech Boeing Next Generation aircraft are designed for performance and reliability. In addition, all Copa aircraft are equipped with environmentally friendly features such as winglets that help reduce airport noise, fuel consumption and greenhouse gases. (more)

By Jessica Tasón and Grisel Bethancourt for La Crítica - The Chinese company Higer Bus Company Limited has been excluded from participating in the public bidding process to supply 420 new city buses for the Transmóvil project for having falsified a bond to guarantee their work, which was attributed Interoceánica de Seguros. The insurance company, Interoceánica de Seguros, said yesterday their company never issued any bond (called a "fianza de garantía" in Spanish) to the Higer Bus Company Limited. Through a press release directed to Panama's Ground Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT), the insurance company warned if the Chinese company should win the public bidding process, the contract for the project should not be awarded to the Higer Bus Company Limited based on a bond of guarantee from the company Interoceánica de Seguros, and if the bus company had presented any document stating otherwise then that document is a fake or a forgery. (more) (See Comments)