JAC Liner

Last updated
JAC Liner
JAC Liner logo.svg
Yutong ZK6100CRA (JAC Liner 8845) 2023-03-19.jpg
A JAC Liner (Yutong ZK6100H) bus serving Calamba - Cubao Line.
Founded1987;38 years ago (1987)
HeadquartersMapagmahal St., Brgy. Pinyahan corner EDSA Kamias, Quezon City
Locale Luzon
Service areaJAC Liner, Lucena Lines, JAM Liner, Metro Manila Bus Company:Pangasinan Solid North Transit:
Service typeCity & Provincial Operation
Fleet400+
OperatorJAC Liner
Chief executiveJaime Chua [1]
Website Official website

JAC Liner is one of the largest bus companies in the Philippines serving the riding public en route to Southern Luzon provinces which includes key destinations in the provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Quezon and Marinduque. [2]

Contents

History

JAC (Jaime A. Chua) Liner, owned by the Chua Family, began operating in April 1987 as a sole proprietorship operating two second hand buses along the Alabang - Fairview route. The owner's family backyard lot functioned as the company's repair garage and head office. [3]

A Metro Manila Bus Company's Yutong ZK6107H. Metro Manila Bus Company.JPG
A Metro Manila Bus Company's Yutong ZK6107H.

In 1988, JAC Liner acquired eight additional second-hand buses from other bus operators. These were rehabilitated and made operational. A year after, they were assisted by the Bus Installment Purchase Program (BIPP), a program that would allow them to purchase buses on installment basis which allowed them to purchase 26 new buses and was granted to have additional franchises along EDSA.

In March 1992, they were formally incorporated as JAC Liner. Two years later, they moved their operations to the Southern Tagalog region, where it established itself as one of the largest bus companies in the country.

In 2004, the founders decided to go on semi-retirement and passed on the day-to-day management of the company to their children while retaining long-term policy-making functions of the corporation. [3] In December of that same year, JAC Liner formed their first subsidiary, Lucena Lines, with a fleet of around 60 buses.

In 2010, JAC Liner bought the Tarlac City-based company Dionisio R. De Leon Express and established Pangasinan Solid North Transit. From 30 or so bus units, Pangasinan Solid North expanded their fleet size up to around 150 bus units. [4] In 2011, JAC Liner became the first bus company in the country to offer free WiFi on board through a partnership with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. [5] [6]

In March 2014, JAC Liner took over the Santa Cruz line of Green Star Express. Months later, JAC Liner acquired the whole franchise of Greenstar and their remaining buses were transferred to Lucena Lines, but they retained some units under the Green Star Express name.

In 2015, JAC Liner took over the Dagupan Bus Company and the provincial operations of Fermina Express, which had a total of 300 buses combined. [4] The company also debuted a new city bus subsidiary, Metro Manila Bus Company, with routes from Baclaran to Fairview via EDSA and Quezon Avenue.

In 2021, JAC Liner acquired JAM Liner and JAM Transit to expand their route network.

In 2023, JAC Liner took over Pacita-based Cher Transport, which was among the list of well-known bus companies in Metro Manila. The latter's bus units and routes were later integrated into Metro Manila Bus Company, expanding its operations as far as Balibago, Santa Rosa, Laguna. [7]

In 2025, JAC Liner subsidiary Pangasinan Solid North Transit had its operations suspended for a month after one of its buses namely PSNTI bus no. 1513, a Dagupan Bus Co. unit operating under PSNTI caused a multiple-vehicle collision at the SCTEX toll plaza in Tarlac City, killing 10 people and injuring 37 others, with initial investigations suggesting the bus driver fell asleep. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) initially issued a 30-day suspension for 15 specific units of Dagupan Bus Co., which was quickly followed by a Department of Transportation (DOTr) order suspending the entire fleet of Pangasinan Solid North Transit, encompassing nearly 300 buses. [8] The same year, the remnants of Dagupan Bus's units were gradually integrated into the expanding operations of Solid North Transit, together with more than a dozen units from Victory Liner's former Caloocan - Dagupan and Cubao - Dagupan routes. JAC Liner and their subsidiaries also introduced daily pet-friendly schedules on all routes for the convenience of their pet-carrying commuters riding their buses.

Subsidiaries

A Green Star Express bus heading to JAC Liner's LRT Buendia terminal. Green Star Express Inc. 5103.jpg
A Green Star Express bus heading to JAC Liner's LRT Buendia terminal.

Discontinued subsidiaries

These are their discontinued subsidiaries / bus company names which they bought before:

Fleet

A JAC Liner Almazora MAN 16.290 Lion Star heading to Cubao. JAC Liner - MAN 753 16.290.JPG
A JAC Liner Almazora MAN 16.290 Lion Star heading to Cubao.

JAC Liner runs ordinary and air-conditioned bus units. Recently, the company has started to offer deluxe and premium point-to-point trips as well. The majority of their buses are made from Yutong as they were the former distributor of the latter in the country, before transferring its distributorship to King Long.

JAC Liner Fleet
MakeModelNotes
Auto Bus Transport IndustriesSR NV620 Replica Bus Body
Auto Bus Transport IndustriesYutong ZK6100HUsed for driver tests and trainings
SRMWI DaewooBS106MMBC only
SRMWI DaewooBV115PSNTI only
SRMWI DaewooBS120S 2nd GenerationMMBC only
DaewooBAR GD Marcopolo ReplicaPSNTI only
YutongZK6100H
YutongZK6105HAPSNTI only
YutongZK6107HMMBC and PSNTI only
YutongZK6107HA
YutongZK6119HA
YutongZK6119H2
YutongZK6118HQUsed for recruitment drives
YutongZK6122HD9
HigerKLQ6126LYPSNTI only
HigerKLQ6127LAPSNTI only
King LongXMQ6117Y3PSNTI only
King LongXMQ6112AYPSNTI only
King LongXMQ6127AYW01
King LongXMQ6127J
Hyundai UniverseSpace LuxuryPSNTI only
Golden DragonXML6102 SplendourPSNTI only
Golden DragonXML6103 MarcopoloPSNTI only
Golden DragonXML6103J SnowfoxPSNTI only
Nissan Diesel UD SRMWIPKB212MMBC only
VolvoB7R AutodeltaMMBC only

Bus terminals

From the official page of JAC Liner. [9]

JAC Group (Lucena Lines and JAM Liner) buses at its terminal in Kamias, Quezon City Yutong buses at JAC Liner Kamias terminal 2023-03-19.jpg
JAC Group (Lucena Lines and JAM Liner) buses at its terminal in Kamias, Quezon City

Metro Manila

They have three main bus terminals and three satellite terminals in Metro Manila.

Provincial

These are their major hubs in Southern Luzon provinces.

Destinations

A JAC Liner bus heading to Lucena JAC Liner - Yutong ZK6119HA.JPG
A JAC Liner bus heading to Lucena

Metro Manila

Provincial Destinations

SLEX Line:

Sta. Cruz Line:

Lucena Line:

Mauban Line (from Lucena):

Marinduque Line (from Lucena):

Premium Point to Point Routes

Franchises not in-use/Future Destinations

Routes under Lucena Lines

Routes under Pangasinan Solid North Transit

With the management of JAC Liner, Solid North Transit uses the facilities of JAC Liner, including their main terminal in Cubao and Buendia.

Metro Manila

Provincial Destinations

Pampanga Pick-up and Drop-off Terminals:

Trans-Tarlac Line:

via Tarlac/TPLEX Rosales:

via TPLEX Pozzorubio/TPLEX Rosario:

Inter-Provincial Destinations

Premium Point to Point

Routes Under JAM Liner

Routes Under Metro Manila Bus Company

Under the management of JAC Liner, Metro Manila Bus Company uses the facilities of JAC Liner, including their terminal in Buendia.

Metro Manila

Provincial Destinations

See also

References

  1. "Corporate Social Responsibility". jacliner.com.
  2. "DOTR - Provincial Bus Franchises". Department of Transportation - Philippines. Retrieved 20 June 2019.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 "JAC Liner Inc. | About Us". jacliner.com. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  4. 1 2 "Provincial Bus Franchises 2015 - Open Data". data.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2016-11-25. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  5. "PLDT powers first Wi-Fi enabled bus line". www.pldt.com. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  6. "JAC Liner: The first Wi-Fi bus in the Philippines". 2 November 2010.
  7. James Veloso (March 10, 2023). "Bus Buyouts". opinyon.net.
  8. Boton, Christine (May 3, 2025). "Solid North bus operations suspended after SCTEX crash". The Philippine Star .
  9. "Routes & Schedules". jacliner.com. Retrieved August 30, 2025.