GV Florida Transport
G.V. Florida Transport, Incorporated, previously known as Florida Liner is a Philippine bus company headquartered in Barangay Matucay Allacapan, Cagayan, and is one of the major bus companies in Northern Luzon. it was founded by Virgilio Florida, Sr. in 1970. The company was incorporated in 1999 and currently managed by brothers George Florida and Virgilio Florida, Jr., along with Harry Florida, the current municipal mayor of Allacapan, Cagayan.
The company also offers bus chartering services to individuals and corporations.
Etymology
The name of the bus company is derived from the incorporators of the company, the Florida brothers – George Florida and Virgilio Florida, Jr. – of which their initials of their first names were used as the name of the said company.History
G.V. Florida Transport, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 by Virgilio Florida and his son, George Florida, from Barangay of Matucay, in the municipality of Allacapan, Cagayan That time, the now defunct EMC Transportation, Inc. was the largest bus company operating in Cagayan and Quirino provinces. The company operated formerly as Florida Liner, which was founded by Virgilio Florida, Sr. at the end of the 1970s. Even as a new player in the industry back then, GV Florida has attracted the riding public with its ultra-luxury buses, with the distinctive flowery livery, on a pink body color, their company color, adorning all sides of their buses. G.V. Florida Transport ferries goods and passengers from Metro Manila to Cagayan Valley Region and Ilocos Region. Also, it operates inter-provincial routes between neighboring provinces in Cagayan Valley.G.V. Florida Transport started its Ilocos Route when they acquired F. Franco Transit and B. Trans. It expanded more with the acquisition of Autobus Transportation's Ilocos line. They also expanded its Cagayan Valley and Isabela route when they acquired Viva Alladin, Ballesteros Bus Line, and Dagupan Bus Company's franchises. With the acquisition of Autobus' remaining routes, GV Florida will commence its Baguio's route soon.
G.V. Florida Transport is noted for being the first Philippine bus company to introduce the "Sleeper class", with Golden Dragon, Higer & Hino RM sleeper buses currently servicing Manila-Tuguegarao,and Manila-Laoag-Tuguegarao routes
A sister bus company, GMW Florida Trans Inc., is being operated by the other siblings of George. This company serves the Santiago-Cauayan-Tuguegarao-Laoag and Tuguegarao-Abra via Bantay/Vigan routes.
During the later part of 2011, GV Florida Transport expanded its fleet by purchasing initial fleet of 6 MAN R39 18.350 as part of its Super Deluxe fleet and 20 Exclusively modified PHI Grandeza RM as part of its deluxe fleet. They continued to purchase PHI Grandeza and they used this model to re-body some of their Korean buses. As of year 2013, they started purchasing DM14 Series with Hino RM chassis as their Deluxe and Super Deluxe fleet.
At an early morning of February 7, 2014, a GV Florida bus with plate number TXT-872 fell into the ravine, located in Sitio Pagang in Barangay Talubin in Bontoc. It was carrying 45 people that killed 14 people, including one Dutch and one Canadian national, and Filipino comedian & actor Tado Jimenez.
The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board was imposed a 30-day preventive suspension to all 186 bus units including of its franchised units on February 10, 2014 after the incident.
Recently, GV Florida Transport continues to expand its bus units such as Higer U-Tour Series, Hino RM with Grandecho II Series & DM16 S1 Series as part of Deluxe fleet. As of today, they have acquired Hino RM with Kinglong XMQ6129Y Front & Rear fascia with Golden Dragon XML6127 "Marcopolo" side & combination of Hino Grandeza Series Foglamps as part of irs Deluxe and new Sleeper Class fleets.
Fare class
G.V. Florida has employed various types of fare classes. These are:- Regular Air Conditioned Fare: Seats between 45–50 passengers.
- Deluxe Class: Seats 41–45 passengers with Restroom
- Executive Deluxe Class: Seats 41 passengers with more leg room, Restroom, Air-suspension
- Super Deluxe Class: 2x1 Spacious seats, 29 seater, 2 LCD, Restroom.
- Sleeper Class: 35 Bunk bed's, 4 T.V.,Restroom for Manila-Tuguegarao travels.
The Operating Fleet
G.V. Florida Transport has grown to about 300 buses.- Del Monte Motor Works, Inc.
- *DM09
- ** Mercedes-Benz OH-1625
- *DM11 Extensively modified
- ** Hyundai Aero Express HSX
- ** Hyundai Aero Space LS
- ** Daewoo BH116
- *DM14 Series I
- ** Hino RM2PSS
- *GD XML6127 Marcopolo replica
- ** Hino RF821
- ** Hino RM2PSS
- ** Hino RU2PSS
- ** Hyundai Aero Express HSX
- ** MAN R39 18.350 HOCL
- ** Mercedes-Benz OH1625
- ** Nissan Diesel RB46S
- ** Hyundai Aero Space LS
- ** Daewoo BH116
- ** Kia Granbird
- *DM16 Series I
- ** Hino RM2PSS
- ** Hino RN8JSUJ
- Hino Motors Philippines
- * Hino MR Series
- ** Hino RM2PSS
- *Hino Grandeza – It is exclusively and extensively modified so it will resemble like GD XML6127 Marcopolo.
- ** Hino RM2PSS
- ** Hyundai Aero Space LS
- ** Daewoo BH115
- ** Daewoo BH116
- ** SsangYong Transtar
- ** Kia Granbird
- *Hino Grandecho II – It is exclusively and extensively modified so it will resemble like GD XML6127 Marcopolo.
- ** Hino RM2PSS
- King Long
- * XMQ6127 J3 "Euro Star" Face Lifted as GD XML6127
- Higer
- *V92W KLQ6129QWE3
- *KLQ6123KQ U-Tour
- *KLQ6118H U-Tour
- Golden Dragon
- XML6127 "Marco Polo"
- Zhongtong Bus
- LCK6118H Elegance
- LCK6123RA
Terminals
GV Florida
Cagayan Valley- Cagayan
- *Abulug
- *Alcala
- *Aparri
- *Baggao
- *Ballesteros
- *Buguey
- *Claveria
- *Enrile
- *Gatarran
- *Gonzaga
- *Lasam
- *Tuao
- *Tuguegarao City
- *Sanchez-Mira
- *Santa Ana
- Isabela
- *Aurora
- *Burgos
- *Cabatuan
- *Delfin Albano
- *Echague
- *Ilagan City
- *Jones
- *Luna
- *Roxas
- *San Agustin
- *San Mateo
- *Santiago City
- Quirino
- *Maddela
- Ilocos Norte
- *Batac
- *Dingras
- *Laoag City
- *Nueva Era
- *Pagudpud
- *Piddig
- *Solsona
GMW Trans
- Isabela
- *Delfin Albano
- *Roxas
- *Santiago City
- Abra
- *Bangued
- Benguet
- *Baguio City
- Ilocos Norte
- *Laoag City
- Ilocos Sur
- *Bantay
Destinations
[Metro Manila]
- Sampaloc, Manila
- Kamias, Quezon City
Provincial Destinations
- Tuguegarao, Cagayan
- Aparri, Cagayan
- Gonzaga, Cagayan
- Junction Luna Abulug, Cagayan
- Ballesteros, Cagayan
- Buguey, Cagayan
- Santa Ana, Cagayan
- Lasam, Cagayan
- Allacapan, Cagayan
- Nabaccayan, Gattaran, Cagayan
- Baggao, Cagayan
- Piat, Cagayan
- Solana, Cagayan
- Enrile, Cagayan
- Sanchez-Mira, Cagayan
- Pamplona, Cagayan
- Claveria, Cagayan
- Santa Praxedes, Cagayan
- Solano, Nueva Vizcaya
- Maddela, Quirino
- Santiago City, Isabela
- Echague, Isabela
- San Agustin, Isabela
- Angadanan, Isabela
- Ilagan City, Isabela
- Cauayan City, Isabela
- San Mateo, Isabela
- Aurora, Isabela
- Burgos, Isabela
- Quirino, Isabela
- Cabatuan, Isabela
- Luna, Isabela
- Roxas, Isabela
- Delfin Albano, Isabela
- Laoag, Ilocos Norte
- Batac, Ilocos Norte
- Dingras, Ilocos Norte
- Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
- Bacarra, Ilocos Norte
- Solsona, Ilocos Norte
- Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte
- Banna, Ilocos Norte
- Paoay, Ilocos Norte
- Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte
- Pura, Tarlac
- Mabalacat, Pampanga
- Guimba, Nueva Ecija
GMW Trans Destinations
- Cauayan City, Isabela
- Ilagan City, Isabela
- Santiago, Isabela
- Delfin Albano, Isabela
- Laoag, Ilocos Norte
- Tuguegarao, Cagayan
- Santa Ana, Cagayan
- Vigan, Ilocos Sur
- Bangued, Abra
- Pudtol, Apayao
- Baguio, Benguet
Former Destinations
- Bontoc, Mountain Province
- Banaue, Ifugao
- Tabuk, Kalinga
Fleet Numbering
- F-Series – Regular Fare & 2 unit Deluxe. Korean-made units..
- GD-Series – Golden Dragon XML6127 Marcopolo, DM14 & DM16 Series and GD Marcopolo Replica from Del Monte Motor Works, Inc and Grandeza from Pilipinas Hino.
- S and H Series – Composed of Higer, Hino, and Golden Dragon Sleeper Buses.
- KL Series – Composed of their 2 Kinglong Units
- J Series – Kia Granbird exclusive fleet numbering
- 001-999 – Regular and Deluxe Fare original series