About ABC
History and organization
Autobusbedrijf Curaçao
Autobusbedrijf Curaçao N.V. better known as ABC Busbedrijf or ABC, offers the service of public transportation to the community of Curaçao. The main goal is to transport the client from one point or another to the desired destination. ABC offers more than just public transportation; they offer clients a pleasant experience at an affordable price.
Our mission
“Offer transportation that is public, dependable, accessible and innovative”.
Our vision
“A community where everyone can use public transportation”.
Our values
“The development of a successful community depends in part on good, trustworthy and affordable transport. ABC would like to continue offering these services to its clients. The company prides itself on a few criteria and key values when it comes to giving service.
History
Autobusbedrijf Curaçao N.V. (ABC Busbedrijf or ABC) is a public transport company was founded on December 1st, 1943, as a service of then called central Government. The goal was to maintain the transport service in the region of Punda and Otrabanda and to start the organization of public transportation. At the beginning of the company there was only 1 route and 20 employees. Today the company has grown and has 137 workers; 81 of whom are drivers. The company has 35 busses that drive a total of 21 routes every day.
Central government did not start this service to make a profit, but to serve and to improve public transportation. Thus the main goal was to create possibilities that everyone can get to work on time and kids can go to school and madams can get to the city.
When financial results became satisfactory, central government decided that it was time to give the opportunity to private persons that were interested in investing private capital in this service.
Between 1943 and 1972 transport consisted of:
Taxi or rented cars
This was completely in the hands of private owners, and was directed towards transporting tourists.
Small busses; so called “Autobus”
The small busses could transport six people and back then the American passenger cars were used. Station wagons were also used to transport eight people and Volkswagen busses to transport nine people. These were also in the hands of private owners.
Big busses
Bus transport, so the big busses that could transport more than 30 people, was managed by two large companies: Bakhuisbusline, a private company and ABC. These two companies ran more routes compared to the smaller busses.
So, besides ABC there were other companies that functioned on their own. Back then ABC had strong competition to maintain their existence. There were almost 350 “autobus” that ran around freely; they had permits to drive large American passenger cars or a small bus that could transport eight passengers in exchange for payment.
In 1972 the Central government ABC to the insular government, Government of Curaçao, that still manages the company today.
Organizational structure
The Government of Curaçao owns 100% of Autobusbedrijf Curaçao N.V. (ABC Busbedrijf). ABC Busbedrijf falls under the Ministry of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning. The company is responsible for the execution of the management of public transportation of the Government of Curaçao. The Minister of Traffic, Transport and Urban Planning, on behalf of the shareholder, named a supervisory board that supervises and advises the management team.
In the structure of the organization, ABC consists of a director and departments that belong to the management group:
- Secretariat
- Sales and marketing Department
- Technical services Department
- Transport services Department
- Finance and Human Resources Department.
Incoming May 1st 2016 Drs. John R. Cijntje has been named General Director of Autobusbedrijf Curaçao N.V. (ABC)
The vision of Mr. Cijntje with regards to ABC is:
“a community where everyone can make use of public transportation”