![]() So now you might see one of those sleek-looking double-decker buses going from point A to point B along EDSA-but there is definitely not enough of them to really make an impact for the average commuter. “But my father told me, ‘ Huwag ka ng umuwi, wala ka nang uuwian’.” He was, at the time, studying in Japan and was meant to take over the business. ![]() But by the mid-1980s, the government allowed, even colluded with the importation of cheap new and used buses and trucks from China and Korea,” says Reyes. “In the 1970s, the government supported local industry and we, together with the other companies in our field, prospered. So over time you would cannibalize one unit after another to keep the other units going, until you get down to zero.” And with only 22 double-decker buses plying the rough Metro Manila roads, it didn’t take long until they disappeared entirely. With all the different parts and units coming in, “they did not have any aftermarket support. All of this worked against “the first rule of transit operations, standardization.” That is how we ended up with 10 Berliet units,” continues Reyes, referring to a somewhat "obscure" French manufacturing line. For example, France might give us a grant that came in the form of credit to buy French products. At the time, the Philippines was receiving a lot of foreign aid, “but it came in the form of commodity purchases. “ Saan ka naman nakakita ng bus company with a dozen different brands with a dozen different specifications and a dozen different sets of replacement parts?” he points out. You were like a driver with no control of the vehicle,” says Reyes.īut why didn’t these buses last? Reyes remembers a conversation between the MMTC executives and his father. “The favorite seats were the front seats in the second level. These double-decker buses then plied several routes in Metro Manila, including EDSA. ![]() We pushed them out of the building slowly, then simply aired up the tires again.” “We aired out the tires which gave us just enough clearance. “After we assembled the double-deckers, we found out that the buses were a few inches taller than the door,” shares Reyes. A total of 22 units were built-but not completely without a hitch. The bus bodies, Atlantean Models, were brought in from Walter Alexander and built on chassis from the British Leyland. Reyes worked with his father, Fernando “Nanding” Reyes, to get the buses on our roads.īy 1981, assembly began in the Manila Motor Works (MMW) plant in Balagtas, Bulacan, says Reyes. Reyes, who in 1928 founded the Manila Motor Works, the same company that eventually became responsible for assembling the double-decker buses for MMTC. The Metro Manila Transit Corporation (MMTC), “started with a fleet of regular buses, but eventually developed the air-conditioned Love Bus and then the double-decker buses,” explained Ned Reyes in an exchange with SPOT.ph. The “Love Bus” line itself was an idea by his wife, Imelda Marcos, and was the first air-conditioned service around-a real luxury back then.Ĭontrary to popular belief, these double-decker buses were technically not part of the “Love Bus” line. You might remember the good old “Love Bus” line: It was publicly owned by the Metro Manila Transit Corporation, a body created in 1974 through an executive order by then-President Ferdinand Marcos. Then, in the early '80s, the first legitimate double-decker buses were brought to Metro Manila. PHOTO Used with Permission from Ned Reyes Most of these buses weren’t originally built as double-deckers either, and the open-air second level was usually made through modifications. By that time, pollution and congestion probably made a leisurely sightseeing trip on Roxas Boulevard a bit difficult. You could spot the Matorco buses carrying folks across the scenic Roxas Boulevard up until as late as 1994. Plus, you can just imagine the sea views before part of the area was turned into reclaimed land under the Marcos regime.īy the mid-'70s, the fare was set at just 20 centavos, according to Gopal. Tourists could get off around six designated spots along the way, said Gopal, including, of course, Aristocrat Restaurant (the old resto, and their cult-classic barbecued chicken, has been around since 1936). The route of the Matorco buses ran from the 13th and Chicago Street in the Port Area of Manila, near the Anda Circle, all the way along Roxas Boulevard-then known as Dewey Boulevard-up to the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran and vice versa. PHOTO Used with Permission from Manila Nostalgia
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