OLD RABBIT BUS STYLE:

NEW RABBIT STYLE:

Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines Destinations

Angeles City in Pampanga Province, Tarlac City in Tarlac Province, Sta. Cruz in Zambales Province, Alaminos City and Bolinao in Pangasinan Province, Baguio in Benguet Province, San Fernando in La Union Province, Vigan in Ilocos Province, Laoag in Ilocos Norte Province

Telephone Number: (02) 734-9836

Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines, Inc. (PRBL) is considered one of the pioneering bus companies in the Philippines. It was founded in 1946.

The company's area of coverage extends from Metro Manila to northern provinces ofPampanga, Bataan, Zambales Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Benguet, Quezon, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, and Abra. Its main terminal in Metro Manila is in Avenida Sta. Cruz, Manila.

Owned and operated by the clans of Paras and Nisce, natives of Tarlac City, Philippine Rabbit operates to and from the Metro Manila and northern provinces along strategic routes.

They started with the familiar Isuzu buses with red livery with a yellowish-brown stripe, illuminated destination indicator and illuminated company logo on the bus' front, bus numbers prominently displayed on strategic areas (including the roof), and route codes on its bumpers (the hallmark of a Philippine Rabbit bus). Some of the units then featured panoramic windows and are painted white with red stripe in the middle and red lettering (dubbed as the "White Rabbits," which served as tourist buses for Rabbitours) -- an upgrade of their earlier buses. These buses were unique from buses being operated by other bus companies, given that their rivet-studded bodies were mostly created and maintained by their own skilled mechanics.

During the early 90's, the company supplanted their fleet with the latest-model white air conditioned UD Nissan Diesel, Hino andMitsubishi Fuso buses, which, at the time, were the most modern in the country. The company then has employed a new livery for its recently-acquired bus units.

The company was on its darkest times in the late 90's and the first part of the following decade. Its workforce led a strike, which resulted to temporary suspension of the company's operations.

In order to regain losses after the strike, the company had to sell many of its assets, including bus units, franchises, and real properties. Its area of coverage was narrowed, since the company had to give up in favor of other players some of its routes.

Philippine Rabbit may have managed to survive from its crises, but is presently in its efforts to recover and regain its former status in the past. It continues to strive to be at par with leading bus companies in terms of number of buses and providing quality and reliable transport service to its patrons.

[edit]Fleet

Philippine Rabbit is one of the bus companies who popularized the Philippine Euro Bus, which was a joint project of the defunct Nissan Diesel Philippines Corp. and VDL Jonckheere. Some of these buses are still running nowadays.

As of today, Philippine Rabbit is utilizing buses powered by engines built by Nissan, Hino, Isuzu, Hyundai, KIA and Daewoo.

Buses in their fleet are mostly built by Del Monte Motors Corporation, while a number are from Santarosa Philippines and Pilipinas Hino. Aside from these, the company has recently acquired imported surplus units from Korea, which comprise of Hyundai, Daewoo, and Kia buses.

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