Panama - The lost world of the Diablos Rojos
30 images Created 13 Dec 2008
PANAMA's DIABLOS ROJOS, THE PEOPLE'S BUS
A true cultural experience of Panamà City was the wild fleet of buses traditionally called diablos rojos, red devils, school buses creatively transformed into works of pop-art. They disappeared aften 2013from the roads but their heritge still lives on this reportage. Many buses have elaborate paintings of religious icons, pop culture heroes, actresses, sport stars, politicians, and a variety of flashing exterior lights and salty street expressions. The decorated buses first appeared in 1911 and, by the 1960s, these second-hand school buses bought in the U.S. Canal Zone appeared on the streets. For decades this traditional public transportation system, privately owned, grew without a real plan, and bus owners drive Diablos Rojos around the city picking up passengers and taking them to their destinations. The drivers choose their own routes and on the front of the bus is usually air-brush-painted the start and end destinations. Strong competition among the drivers is a stimulus to disobey transit rules. Music at high volume, poor ventilation and lack of security transform the buses in a uncomfortable transport system. In 2003 the red devils (two percent of all vehicles) caused 14 percent (1662) of all traffic accidents in the country. President Martín Torrijos announced on 2008 that a new bus system will be freeing Panamà City of the Diablo Rojos, it's not the first time the Panamà's governement is trying the put end to the legend of Diablos Rojos, but Panamà City expresses its popular culture and beliefs through the bus painting, in the way murals do for other cities, so with their end and, also if many citizen seem to appreciate this expression of popular art, the colorfully painted buses are not supported by the government.
A true cultural experience of Panamà City was the wild fleet of buses traditionally called diablos rojos, red devils, school buses creatively transformed into works of pop-art. They disappeared aften 2013from the roads but their heritge still lives on this reportage. Many buses have elaborate paintings of religious icons, pop culture heroes, actresses, sport stars, politicians, and a variety of flashing exterior lights and salty street expressions. The decorated buses first appeared in 1911 and, by the 1960s, these second-hand school buses bought in the U.S. Canal Zone appeared on the streets. For decades this traditional public transportation system, privately owned, grew without a real plan, and bus owners drive Diablos Rojos around the city picking up passengers and taking them to their destinations. The drivers choose their own routes and on the front of the bus is usually air-brush-painted the start and end destinations. Strong competition among the drivers is a stimulus to disobey transit rules. Music at high volume, poor ventilation and lack of security transform the buses in a uncomfortable transport system. In 2003 the red devils (two percent of all vehicles) caused 14 percent (1662) of all traffic accidents in the country. President Martín Torrijos announced on 2008 that a new bus system will be freeing Panamà City of the Diablo Rojos, it's not the first time the Panamà's governement is trying the put end to the legend of Diablos Rojos, but Panamà City expresses its popular culture and beliefs through the bus painting, in the way murals do for other cities, so with their end and, also if many citizen seem to appreciate this expression of popular art, the colorfully painted buses are not supported by the government.
