Bus transport in Central America
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Image:Colorful Buses in Antigua Guatemala, 2020.jpg.]]
File:Nicaragua Masaya Granada Bus, 2011.jpg.]]
Bus transport is a key mode of transportation and plays an important role in commerce across Central America, where personal cars and rail systems are less common compared to wealthier countries.
In the region, these buses are often called "camioneta" or "trambilla" (the latter being a hypercorrection of "tranvía"). They are often modified and brightly decorated to transport both people and goods between communities in countries like Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. In Panama, they are known as "Diablos Rojos" (Red Devils).{{Cite web |title=Los Diablos Rojos, Cultura Panameña Popular Rodante | Educa Panamá | Mi Portal Educativo |url=http://www.educapanama.edu.pa/?q=articulos-educativos/los-diablos-rojos-cultura-panamena-popular-rodante |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719054557/http://www.educapanama.edu.pa/?q=articulos-educativos/los-diablos-rojos-cultura-panamena-popular-rodante |archive-date=2020-07-19 |access-date=2019-09-09}}
The buses are typically built from retired North American school buses, sometimes with light or medium truck chassis (often Nissan Diesel). In Panama, some are based on Toyota HiAce, Toyota Coaster, or similar passenger vehicles, usually left painted white. When a Toyota Coaster is used, the bus is called a "Chiva," while a Toyota HiAce is referred to as a "busito."
"Chicken bus"
Some English speaking tourists call buses "chicken buses". The word "chicken" may refer to the fact that the buses are often crammed with passengers not unlike a truck load of chickens,{{cite news |date=14 October 2012 |title=Chicken Buses of Guatemala |work=Amusing Planet}} or to the fact that Central Americans occasionally transport live animals on such buses—a practice that visitors from other countries often find remarkable.{{cite news |last=Morrison |first=Tim |date=4 September 2004 |title=Hop a 'chicken bus' to rural Honduras: A trip into the countryside is a challenge but I'm rewarded with cloud forests, pristine rivers and giant waterfalls |work=The Vancouver Sun}}{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Tracy |date=30 September 2006 |title=LETTER FROM GUATEMALA SOJOURN IN GUATEMALA; A volunteer discovers something of herself in her travels to Antigua |work=Bangor Daily News}} The term "Chicken bus" is not used by locals, and some consider it offensive.{{cite web |url=https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/chicken-bus.2865812/ |title=Chicken bus |date=15 July 2014|last=hogareño|website=WordReference.com forum }}{{better source|date=February 2025}}
See also
References
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External links
{{Commons category|Buses in Guatemala}}
{{Wikivoyage|Chicken bus|Chicken buses}}
- [http://guatemalanchickenbuses.com/ Video, photographs, and a book about Guatemalan Chicken Buses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719065223/http://guatemalanchickenbuses.com/ |date=2020-07-19 }}
- [http://www.chickybus.com/2010/09/chicky-bus-the-real-story-pt/ Adventures on a chicken bus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823233146/http://www.chickybus.com/2010/09/chicky-bus-the-real-story-pt/ |date=2020-08-23 }}
- [http://www.chickybus.com/vicarivids/ Videos of chicken bus travel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226185137/http://www.chickybus.com/vicarivids/ |date=2014-12-26 }}
{{Americas topic|Bus transport in}}
Category:Bus transport in North America
Category:Road transport in El Salvador
Category:Road transport in Guatemala
Category:Road transport in Honduras
Category:Road transport in Nicaragua
Category:Road transport in Panama