DESPITE repeated delays, the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, also known as the Davao Bus System Project, remains on track as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) pushes forward with completing the remaining right-of-way (ROW) acquisition and targets pilot operations by 2027.
On August 22, 2025, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon confirmed to Davao media that approximately 60 percent of the necessary ROW has been secured since the groundwork began in March, with efforts underway to finalize the remaining 40 percent within the year.
He conceded that the project, which has been postponed by roughly two years, was delayed due to logistical challenges, but emphasized that directives from the president have pushed government agencies to accelerate all pending infrastructure initiatives.
“Davao Bus System ng Davao City ay matutuloy in fact, aminado naman tayo na na-delay ito ng ilang taon parang mga two years, pero dahil sa utos ng Pangulo na talagang bilisan lahat ng projects at talagang binibilisan na natin ang mga ito,” he said in an interview during the launching of Love Bus Libreng Sakay” in Mintal, Davao City on Friday.
(The Davao Bus System in Davao City will definitely push through. We admit that it has been delayed for a few years, about two years, but because of the President’s directive to expedite all projects, we are now working on this at full speed.)
The scope of the project underpins its ambition: a 672-kilometre integrated bus network featuring five depots, three terminals, a driver training academy, 1,074 stops, and a fleet comprising 380 electric buses alongside 720 Euro-V diesel buses enhanced with intelligent transport systems and automated fare collection.
Initial infrastructures, such as bus stops, are already being installed in Mintal, signaling a transition to physical implementation.
The total project budget stands at P76 billion, co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the national government, and Davao City, with the latter contributing about P20 billion. While the funds have been allocated, ROW acquisition posed the main obstacle, one that the DOTr is now addressing head-on.
According to the latest available data, the pilot operations of the Davao Bus System are expected to commence in 2027, with key corridors connecting areas such as Catalunan Pequeño, Ulas, Bangkal, Matina, Bankerohan, Quirino, Bajada, Lanang, Buhangin, and Sasa.
Originally slated for partial rollout by end-2024 and full operations by 2025. However, the project’s timeline shifted due to the ROW impasse, but construction of related infrastructure, such as the Bus Driving Academy and depots, is already in progress.
In his remarks, Dizon noted that the President is “disappointed with the delays” and expects the DavaoBus Project to become a “game changer” and serve as a national model for urban mobility.
The training academy, he added, aims to professionalize driving standards to ensure passenger and road safety, a key component to the project’s success. DEF