The "Diablo Rojos"

Diablo Rojo in Casco Antiguo. Personal Photograph.

If you have never being in Panama, maybe seen a face of a Panamanian celebrity or a child drawn on the back of a bus, seen buses with as many lights than a Christmas tree, or hearing the a bus with the best sound system in a  9a.m traffic jam, will make you think twice about staying in this country. Do not panic, those buses are becoming extinct, in matter of speaking; so feel lucky if you spot one Diablo Rojo recently. They used to be the main public transportation system, but the last government replaced them by MetroBus the diablo rojos. The diablo rojos caused a bad organization to the transportation in Panama and a poor image to government when I came down to the tourism. So, as they proceeded to bring the new buses, the diablo rojos started to vanish one by one. Though the diablo rojos were diminished by the conflicts they cause to the traffic, they still represent a valuable part of the urban culture.

Likewise, a few years back the public transportation system was very different as it is now. Before the government of 2010-2014, Panama was packed with diablo rojos. For every rute there were like 2 to 3 diablo rojos, I do not know why; maybe that bad organization. Moreover, diablo rojos have had a list numerous critics from society since I have memory. They were always criticed by their offensive and impolite driving; for their speeding; for their bad sense for cooperation when I came down to stop at the bus stop; and the list goes on. As a result, if you combine all these problems into one bus, and multiply it by about 5 bus in a single avenue, you will get a decade of awful traffics jams. Another issue, which was crucial, was the amount of car accidents that they caused; and sometimes they caused death. The irresponsibility that these bus drivers had was harmful for every citizen, and event tourists. Diablo rojos, not had a wrong vehicular habit, but they showed to locals and foreginers how poorly the government cared for the vehicular organization in Panama. Hence, it was evident for the government to implement to make a complete replacement of diablo rojos the Metro Bus system.

In the contrary, for many years the diablo rojos represented and have represented a side of the Panamanian urban culture, because of the way that they were designed. As I said at the beginning, it was normal to see the Roberto Duran painted in the of a diablo rojo, Japanese, Samy y Sandra, or Danger Man, or any other type of Panamanian celebrity of any branch (sports, music, theater). Besides, the drawings, they had designs as cartoons, quotes or something related to Panama; also, do not forget the lights. The lights are something important, because the one that had the best illumination had the most passengers. They even got to a point where vehicular lights at night were unnecessary, or they did not even have. For instance, I remember seeing these buses as they were a type of lighthouse or Christmas tree. On the other hand, they became a big part of our culture, that stores started selling merchandise like diablo rojo toys or finery, as souvenirs for tourism. It is still done to these days.

In short, perhaps the diablo rojos were a great benefit for the society as public transportation system, during their time; but, we need assumed that they were not perfect as the time was passing. On the contrary, they were and are a significant part of the Panamanian urban culture; sometimes experiencing a little bit of that culture can remind us of our home. It can remains us of who we are, and to appreciate what we have. So, if you are lucky to find one, I recommend to get on it and have a fun experience; but remember to take the correct route.