BGC Bus adds 4 new units, but commuters say long wait times remain

Four new electric buses joined the fleet on July 6, but commuters say inconsistent service continue despite the expansion.

The Bonifacio Global City (BGC) Bus service has added four new units to meet growing demand, but commuters say long wait times and inconsistent service continue to plague the system.

The four electric vehicles officially joined the BGC Bus fleet on July 6, a move that appeared to come amid mounting complaints from netizens about lengthy waits and aging units.

The BGC Bus has operated since 1998 under the Bonifacio Transport Corporation, but its modern iteration began in 2016 when the service integrated with beep to enable tap-based, cashless payments.

The service currently operates seven routes: East Express, North Route, Central Route, West Route, Weekend Route, Night Route, and the LRT Gil Puyat to Ayala Route. The Arca South route was suspended indefinitely effective April 1.

Commuters report that wait times at various BGC Bus terminals can reach 30 minutes at a minimum and extend to an hour during the morning and evening rushes due to gridlock within the business district.

Netizens lamented that the BGC Bus no longer follows a set schedule. Commuters previously tracked bus departures and arrivals through the ExploreBGC app, launched in 2018, which is now defunct.

As it stands, commuting options remain limited inside the business district. Aside from the BGC Bus, only two jeepney routes ply the business district, but they only pass through the outermost roads leading to the Guadalupe and Ayala districts in Makati City. Some city buses also pass through major thoroughfares in BGC, but their coverage is similarly limited.

Even with the new additions, commuters still report long wait times, calling on BGC management to allow more public transportation options inside the business district rather than favoring private vehicles.