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Founded | 2001 |
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Headquarters | JAM Compound, Tubigan, Biñan, Laguna, Philippines |
Service area | Metro Manila and Southern Luzon |
Service type | City and Provincial Operation |
Destinations | |
Fleet | 400+ Buses (Hino, Nissan Diesel, Daewoo, Isuzu, Yutong, Higer, Hyundai, Wuzhoulong) (including South City Express Inc., HM Liner, Worthy Transport Inc., and Silver Star Shuttle and Tours Inc.) |
Operator | HM Transport Inc. |
HM Transport Inc. is one of the largest bus companies in the Philippines. It offers both provincial and city operations, servicing routes from Metro Manila to Laguna province and vice versa. Its city operation subsidiary, Worthy Transport Inc. services routes from Airport Loop, Pasay, Plaza Lawton, Manila Lagusnilad Underpass, FTI Complex, Taguig, Baclaran, Parañaque, Ayala Avenue, Makati and Pacita Complex, San Pedro, Laguna, all the way to SM Fairview in Quezon City.
The bus company was derived from the initials of its founder, Homer Mercado, a bus operator, who was believed to be a grand nephew of Filipino national hero, Jose Rizal. He is the president of the Southern Luzon Bus Operators Association (SOLUBOA) and has been a party-list representative of United Transport Coalition (commonly known as 1-UTAK partylist) (now 1-JAM G Partylist).
Before HM Transport was formed, a bus company named Laguna Transport Company Inc. or LTCI, a sister company of JAM was established in the early 1980s. It services routes from Santa Cruz, Laguna, to Lawton, Manila, and Cubao, Quezon City, along with other competitors, Kapalaran Bus Lines, also a provincial bus company that is established in the same decade; however, it was phased out in the mid-1990s due to labor disputes, and Batangas Laguna Tayabas Bus Company Inc. (now Del Monte Land Transport Bus Company or DLTBCo).[1]
In 2001, a major split out occurred. This resulted to forming of HM Transport Inc. that serves routes from Santa Cruz, Laguna, to Cubao, Quezon City, and Alabang, Muntinlupa. Another one is Green Star Express, a provincial bus company servicing routes, this time, from the same place to Lawton, Manila. Thus, the brand name Laguna Transport Company Inc. was then changed into its new name Laguna Express Inc. or LEI, but it was rebranded into Calamba Megatrans Inc. in 2007. This bus company services Calamba-Plaza Lawton, Manila route, the Santa Cruz - Cubao route, and for a time, the Alabang - Santa Cruz route. Both HM Transport and Green Star Express dominate other provincial buses in Laguna. With its terminal at Barangay Pagsawitan, Pagsanjan, Laguna after passing through Santa Cruz, Laguna, these bus companies share each other at the old garage of defunct Kapalaran Bus Lines. After the JAC Liner Inc. buy out of Green Star Express Inc and Laguna Express Inc., the terminal was moved to the former HM Liner terminal.
HM Transport was the first provincial bus company to adopt a new alternative for energy, using compressed natural gas (CNG) as a substitute for diesel. In 2004, some liquified petroleum gas tanks (LPG) placed the former diesel compartments of some units. Now, other bus companies followed HM Transport's example, such as her sister companies Green Star Express and Batangas Star Express Corp./KL CNG Bus Transport Corp., RRCG Transport, and Biñan Bus Line Transport System Inc. (BBL Trans).
Last year[when?], Green Star, a subsidiary of Calamba Megatrans, Inc. operated using ex- Calamba Megatrans, Inc Nissan Diesel buses, DMMC Higers, (and Almazora Higers) some of which are Airconditioned and ex-HM Transport, Inc. Nissan Diesel buses(A-102 to A-163). They have new Daewoo buses that goes to the same routes as their sisters.
HM Transport utilizes and maintains the following buses: