Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DIABLOS ROJOS
Whether as a cramped passenger or a terrified pedestrian, you're unlikely to leave Panama
City without having a life-threatening encounter with a
diablo rojo
(red devil), one of the
multicoloured converted old US school buses. Named for the devil-may-care attitude of
many of the drivers, these anachronistic, fume-belching beasts are both safety hazards and
cultural icons. The most exotic designs are air-brushed on and mix the religious and the
profane: Jesus might jostle for position with pop singers in a psychedelic collage of fantasy
landscapes, cartoon characters and Gothic monsters. Inside, feather boas, tassels and rosar-
ies decorate the windscreen.
Arguably more is spent on the artwork than on maintenance, and many preventable
acci-
dents
- some fatal - and breakdowns are caused by negligent owners or wild drivers. Add
to that cramped seating, lack of ventilation and deafening music and it's easy to see why
Panamanians are glad to see these buses gradually being taken off the roads.
BY METRO
Metro route
Panama City's new Metro system - Central America's first - currently has only
one line with 15 almost completed stations, though a second line is planned. It runs from the
Albrook bus terminal via Plaza Cinco de Mayo and then northwards towards El Cangrejo and
beyond, as far as the districts of Los Andes and San Isidro.
Fares
You will need to purchase a rechargeable Metro card (
tarjeta
; $2) at one of the stations
and then pay for each journey; at the time of writing fares had yet to be determined.
BY TAXI
Taxis are plentiful - around 28,000 in the city at the last count - and relatively cheap.
Fares
Taxis are supposed to follow an overcomplicated zonal pricing schedule (see
transito.gob.pa
)
set by the transport authorities, but in practice the price is often down to
supply and demand, your negotiating skills in Spanish and whether they want to take you.
For most destinations in the city you shouldn't pay more than $3-4 during normal working
hours, the exception being to Panamá Viejo or the Amador Causeway, where prices are often
inflated (usually to a minimum of $5) because the driver is concerned about finding a pas-
senger for the return trip. If you're unsure, ask around for the current rates beforehand and
agree a price before getting into a cab. Note that the more comfortable a/c tourist taxis hover-
ing outside the mid- to high-end hotels, recognizable by the SET licence plates, charge much
higher rates.
Tours by taxi
Taxi drivers often serve as chauffeurs and unofficial city tour guides; you may
be charged anything between $15-25/hr, in part depending how far you want to travel.
