Nation keeping close eye on presidential hopeful's project

By LAURENCE ILIFF / The Dallas Morning News

MEXICO CITY – A funky new bus system installed by Mexico City mayor and presidential hopeful Andrés Manuel López Obrador is more than a weird hybrid between a bus line and a subway line. It may be his ticket to the presidency – or to retirement.

Even with Mexico awash in drug violence, bad weather and celebrity scandals, the Metrobús is getting more than its share of ink in the national press and is being scrutinized closely by people who will never ride it.

That's because so many things have worked so poorly in this city of 8.5 million for so long. Mr. López Obrador is building his presidential aspirations on being part of the "efficient left" that is all the rage in Latin America these days.

"Anything he does at this moment is going to attract a lot of attention because a lot of people are wondering whether these are quick fixes or whether he can pull a rabbit out of his hat and create lasting solutions," economist Rogelio Ramírez de la O said.

The Metrobús runs up the capital's main north-south corridor, Avenida Insurgentes, and is the first major public transportation project by Mr. López Obrador.

Just a few weeks ago, Avenida Insurgentes was near chaos. A mishmash of public and private buses fought for passengers and raced up and down the boulevard, often causing accidents and even deaths. The worst offenders, converted storage trucks called "micro-buses," were notorious for being the sites of robberies and rapes.

Eighty new Volvo double-length buses now sidle up to raised platforms where riders get on and off through four doors, much like the city's subway system. The left-most traffic lane is dedicated to the bus. The Metrobús concept first appeared in Colombia and Brazil.

In the days after its rushed inauguration, there was good news and bad. Turnstiles weren't functioning, so the Metrobús was free, but the buses were so full that getting on and off became a contortion act. Little airflow meant lots of sweat.

Some stations weren't finished, others had no lighting, and it looked like Mr. López Obrador might have a flop on his hands.

"It's a fiasco," said commuter Andrés Pérez Ortega, 27, a salesman.

The director of the Metrobús, a public-private joint venture, was sacked, and a temporary charging system was put into place. The cost of a ticket was set at 33 cents. Ridership fell, but still there were too few buses for the demand, and 10 more are being ordered.

The Metrobús system carried 4.5 million passengers in its first three weeks of service, the city government says.

The Mexican media documented the failures, and recovery, for a national audience that also sees the capital as its city. Mr. López Obrador, who has been in office for five years, is the early front-runner in the 2006 presidential race, with a year to go until balloting.

The Metrobús is part of a much larger plan of civic improvement and public subsidies that Mr. López Obrador's critics call populist and economically dangerous as the city debt piles up.

President Vicente Fox, whose conservative National Action Party is running in third place in the early polling for next year's elections, has spoken out against "the temptation of populism" and "handouts to the poor" without mentioning Mr. López Obrador by name.

The mayor has said most of his projects have been funded through budget savings and not debt.

Mexicans have seen Mr. López Obrador and local legislators from his Party of the Democratic Revolution hand out monthly pensions to the elderly and disabled in the city, redevelop the centuries-old Historical Center, build the city's first double-decker highways, and start a new education system from scratch.

Traffic cops, rather than driving around looking for bribes, have been stationed at intersections, where they prevent gridlock. New driver's licenses never have to be renewed. Car registration can be paid by credit card for the first time, and taxes have not been raised.

But Mexicans everywhere have also seen top Mexico City officials take bribes from a developer on videotape. High crime rates have not budged much. Police corruption and kidnapping are serious problems.

Still, the proud mayor has his Metrobús, which has begun accepting pre-paid "smart cards," just like in the First World.

Public response has been mixed.

"I think there are some benefits to it, but costs as well," said Esteban García, 24, a messenger. "I think it has hurt [Mr. López Obrador] because there are still a lot of defects, more buses are needed, and the project was rushed."

Others said the Metrobús works.

"I think it is well-planned," said Juan Astoca, 29, a librarian. "This will help him because it's a space that López Obrador created for those of us who use public transportation."

BY THE NUMBERS
4.5 million
The number of registered riders in the first three weeks of service

11
The number of accidents in the first three weeks, most caused by private vehicles invading the Metrobús lane

250,000
The current number of daily riders

11
The average speed, in mph, at which the Metrobús service moves

IT'S A HIT IN POLL
Three out of four commuters who have used the Metrobús prefer it to the traditional buses it replaces, according to a poll in the Mexico City newspaper Reforma. Nine out of 10 respondents said more Metrobús units need to be added, and eight out of 10 said the service would continue to improve over time. Reforma interviewed 550 Metrobús users in mid-July. It gave no margin of error.