Public transportation in Panama

The buses are great here.  About $1.50 for each 30 minutes of travel.  They are very quick and very effcient.   There are lots of cars, but lots of Panamanians don't have them.

Hi Robin Skelton!

Thanks a lot for your help

Armand

Personally I think that overall the public transportation system in Panama outshines most locales in the U.S. I moved down here from Fort Lauderdale and I can tell you it far surpasses anything in southeast Florida.

I don't have a car so I depend on the buses for getting around. Out here in Chiriqui the 36K ride from Potrerillos Arriba down to the terminal in David costs $1.05 for us with the Pensionado visa. I'll soon be moving out to Boqueron and the ride from there to David is 60 cents one way. You CAN'T drive a car for that. The only problem I've encountered is that the buses stop running fairly early in the evening which is kind of inconvenient but for every day stuff they're extraordinary.

I actually like what they call Diablo Rojos, which are basically old school buses painted in a variety of colors. It's only 25 cents to hop on a bus, and even though they're usually overcrowded, you know there's always another bus around the corner. They've started the Metro Bus system, which is like any other air conditioned city bus from the United States. The cost is cheap. My only concern is that the price will go up once they finally get the older buses off the street.

Taxis are everywhere here. The problem is, if you look like a gringo, most of the drivers will try to rip you off. I've been quoted up to 14 dollars for a 4 dollar ride. Also, it's common for taxis to pull over and allow you to get in, with another passenger already in the car. This is common, and can result in a cheaper fare, but I'd advise you to be careful. A friend of my wife's family was robbed recently because of that. He got into a taxi that a passenger in the front seat. The guy pulled out a gun and robbed him.

My advice: Always ask the fare before getting into a cab (so you can walk away if the driver tries to rip you off) and don't get into a cab that has someone else in it.

Hello oldsalt_1942 and CMichael,

Thank you for participating!

Rouma