A privately funded Colon transport terminal is set to begin operations in mid-to-late October, ending a decades-long wait for modernized transit infrastructure in the Caribbean province. The facility enters its final construction phase with signaling and road marking work scheduled to start within days.
Nicolás Brea Kavasila, director general of the Transit and Land Transport Authority (ATTT), inspected the site alongside transport operators after administrators invited him to review the project’s progress. The terminal still requires final legal approvals before the ATTT can formally grant its operating concession.
Colon Transport Terminal Capacity and Security Features
Gustavo Granados, the terminal’s general manager, detailed a facility engineered for high-volume operations. It can accommodate 76 buses simultaneously across 25 passenger boarding platforms, 17 arrival bays, and 34 dedicated bus parking spaces.
Security infrastructure includes surveillance cameras, centralized monitoring systems, public audio announcements, and digital departure schedules. These features represent a significant upgrade over existing transit conditions in the province.
La nueva Terminal de Transporte de Colón podría ser inaugurada el próximo mes de octubre.
— Telemetro Reporta (@TReporta) September 26, 2026
Transportistas de la ruta urbana expresan que apoyarán el funcionamiento de esta nueva instalación. pic.twitter.com/feA5cUnD7r
Private Sector Role in Public Transit Improvement
Brea Kavasila emphasized the value of private capital in upgrading public transportation services.
‘We consider private sector participation very important in improving the conditions of public land transport service. We support that private investment that provides quality service to the user’ [Translated from Spanish]
He added that the project generated economic activity during construction and will provide a permanent service hub for Colón residents and visitors traveling to the province. The development model could serve as a reference for similar transit investments elsewhere in Panama.
Route Integration and Operator Response
The Panama-Colón intercity route will be first to operate from the new terminal. Discussions remain ongoing to incorporate urban routes serving communities within the province, with Brea Kavasila confirming additional routes are under consideration.
An existing terminal continues operating in Colón, giving passengers a choice of boarding locations. Transport operators will decide independently whether to relocate their services to the new facility. Eduardo Lee, an urban route transporter, welcomed the development.
‘In the end, we seek the benefit of the user. As Colón residents, we are pleased that we have an alternative for the user, a safer place’ [Translated from Spanish]
The terminal’s opening will introduce competition into Colón’s transit market while establishing a modernized hub equipped to handle current demand and future route expansion.