Private Transportation Services in Olongapo

I once wrote about the public transportation services in Olongapo. Those methods of transportation are fine if you're traveling locally because Olongapo isn't very big in terms of land coverage. The ideal method of transportation is in owning your own vehicle, but the vast majority of people in Olongapo simply can't afford to own their own. I'm not saying anyone should be deprived of owning their own vehicle, but the traffic problems in Olongapo are already bad as it is. Without a major redesign to the traffic structure, including bypasses and overpasses, the traffic will only get worse.

Private Transportation Services

I and my wife have rented vans in the past and hired our own drivers to go to places like Manila, where you take your life in your hands if you're not experienced with the traffic conditions there. We opted to do that even though we own our own car, a Toyota Corolla Altis.

A regular reader of Untwisted Vortex, who lives in the same barangay (subdivision) as I, has a private transportation service. It's a shiny new Toyota Granvia, a luxurious van that can hold six passengers (or 10 if the custom-made bench is installed).

Michael and Reezah LaPerna run the service and Reezah is the van owner. The service originates at their house in Santa Rita, near the Mormon Church. Their top driver (Jimmy) will pick-up and drop-off at all points in Luzon. The rate to the Manila Airport is P3500 (or about $75 in US dollars) for a trip period of up to 12 hours. The cost of fuel and the driver's pay is included in that price. The rate is charged hourly, but with a six-hour minimum, which is perfect for most areas on the island closer than Manila. The clock starts when their van departs their home location. They even have backup drivers in case Jimmy isn't available.

Reezah can be reached at phone #0908 681 8793 and can answer any further questions.

Other Transportation Services

From personal experience, I know that using a private van service like that ends up being easier and cheaper than most other private transportation services. While a private jeepney may be cheaper, it's not very comfortable and I personally wouldn't use one unless it was enclosed and included air conditioning (which most don't). After rental costs, hiring a driver and paying for fuel, arranging it all yourself can cost you much more and give you a world of headaches.

For short distances, private jeepneys and trikes may be okay, but they're not suited for long distances into other provinces.