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Caleños Scammed By El Mio!

Back before El Mio (better El Suyo!) I used to ride the buses in Cali, often taking the Blanco Y Negro from Chipichape down La Quinta to Unicentro. I always had a seat and rarely did I see other passengers having to stand. The other day I was on La Quinta and saw a couple of the MIO Monsters pass by. They were packed to the gills with standing passengers like "sardinas en lata". In every Sunday´s Del Lector section of El Pais now there are complaints about El Mio. Today a reader complained they were on a bus where 120 standing riders are permitted but the driver loaded on 150. They complained that on another route the driver caprichosly shut off the air conditioning... I say wow! These poor caleños put up with years of construction and obstruction (I my self didn´t go to south Cali for two years) for this system and what a miserable deal it turns out to be for them. They can´t even pick it up at Chipichape like the old Blanco y Negro. Now they have to take a feeder bus over to a MIO station on Avenida Tercera. What a lump of coal El Mio turned out to be! I say they because I have a car now but if I didn´t I´d take a taxi. I´ll never get on El Mio!

By Atrevido on May 17, 2009, 16:08 in Friendly Talkzone.

Monita Linda says on May 17, 2009, 16:11:

For us and many others it's a lifesaver.... It takes us in no-time from south to north.

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Pappassito (☼Travelguide writer) says on May 17, 2009, 17:06:

I don't know about El Mio,but the green transmilenio buses in Pereira seem to function very well.especially if crossing from Dos Quebradas over into centro.. Now,if only the powers that be in Medellin would get off their asses & finish Metro Plus........

"A wise monkey never monkeys with another monkey's monkey."

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corporalgator (☼Travelguide writer) says on May 17, 2009, 17:40:

It depends on where you're going. If you want to go from Chipi to Unicentro, the venerable B&N is by far your best choice. The connector buses for the Mio don't come often and the Mio is always full. I went from the CAM to Haberiana U in 40 minutes yesterday. That's faster than the Mio even if I lived beside a station since I didn't have to change buses.

Two main problems still present themselves with the Mio: on the Quinta and in el Centro, the side roads are still given longer lights and then people block up the intersection so the mio can't pass. The other problem is that there aren't enough mio buses running. I was reading an article in ADN where they expected 120k passengers a month and were only getting 70k. My only response was, really? If every bus is full and you're not at the capacity you want, then obviously there's a shortage of buses. Intelligence is not a requirement to work for the administration of Cali, obviously.

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Monita Linda says on May 17, 2009, 17:50:

I don't know under which rock you live, but from the north to south (chipi to unicentro), the mio is by far the fastest.. Since the mio it takes us half the time... plus it feels safer..... B&N is the worst bus company.. I think they rob most in those big old buses.

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corporalgator (☼Travelguide writer) says on May 17, 2009, 18:10:

Time it next trip including walking time and wait time for the bus changes. I bet that it's not as fast as you think it is. Also, since when can a bus rob you? You give them 1.500 pesos and that is that.

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Monita Linda says on May 17, 2009, 19:00:

No, not the company, but bad guys coming into the bus with knives and robbing a lot of people..... or using some drug... it happens a lot in cali.. and mostly in B&N... I have witnessed it.. and most of the people I know that got robbed where on a B&N bus.

When we take the mio, we never wait more than 5 minutes and it takes literally half the time than with an old fashioned bus. Never mind the comfort of those little regular buses and heat.

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Morrongo says on May 18, 2009, 09:37:

The Mio is like the Curate's egg, good in parts. Still early days, but certainly if you live near a Mio route, you can have faster route times.

Coporalgator points are valid, congestion at peak times and delays at the many traffic lights,especially going East/West are big problems which have to be resolved.

Has traffic got better? not that you would notice.

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