Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente
Encyclopedia
Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente (Eastern Passenger Bus Terminal) is better known by the acronym TAPO. It is located next to and conjoined with the Metro San Lázaro
station, in the Venustiano Carranza
borough in the eastern part of Mexico City
. Designed by architect Juan José Diaz Infance, it is marked by its very large dome covering the structure. The outer rim of the circular interior contains ticket counters and boarding areas for bus lines. The center contains a food court and other businesses.
The terminal serves travelers to fourteen states in the country, primarily to the east and south of Mexico City, such as to Puebla
, Veracruz
, Oaxaca
and the Yucatan Peninsula
. There are nine bus companies that operate from here with the four main companies being Estrella Roja, Autotransportes Texcoco, Autobuses de Oriente
(ADO) and Grupo Texcoco. There over four hundred busses operating seventeen routes, with carry an average of 10,000 passengers per day. The terminal gets crowded during vacation periods and long holiday weekends. During these weekends, traveler totals are ten percent or more above normal. The busiest times are the Christmas and Holy Week
periods, which can see anywhere from 180,000 to 220,000 passengers go through the terminal.
The terminal was built in 1978 by the federal government under José López Portillo
. In 2003, there were renovations including the pedestrian bridges, a tunnel for taxis, restructuring the main local bus stop, installation of street lighting and the banning of vendors.
Crime has been an issue at the terminal. One reason for the problems is the rise in crime in the surrounding neighborhoods in general. Another has been the operation of unlicensed taxis although much of this has been relieved by the construction of an underground station for legal taxis. One particular problem at least since the 2000s has been the prostitution of minors. Girls and young women as young as ten years old from poor parts of the country are targeted as they arrive to Mexico City. The terminal has over 2,000 security workers during peak times with twenty security cameras.
In 2011, some of government efforts to encourage reading were centered on the terminal. In conjuction with the Autobuses de Oriente (ADO), consisting of free copies of books with texts by Mexican authors such as Elena Poniatowska
, José Agustín
and Efraín Huerta
. Also, the first book “tianguis
” or market began operating at the terminal, with books from twenty different publishers. It operates intermittently about every two months.
Metro San Lázaro
San Lázaro is a station on the Mexico City Metro. It is located in the Venustiano Carranza borough of Mexico City. It lies along Lines 1 and B. The station was opened on 5 September 1969. The station was designed by Félix Candela and consists of interlocked hyperbolic paraboloidal or saddle roof...
station, in the Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza, D.F.
Venustiano Carranza is one of the 16 delegaciones of Mexico's Federal District. The borough was formed in 1970 when the center of Mexico City was subdivided into four boroughs...
borough in the eastern part of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Designed by architect Juan José Diaz Infance, it is marked by its very large dome covering the structure. The outer rim of the circular interior contains ticket counters and boarding areas for bus lines. The center contains a food court and other businesses.
The terminal serves travelers to fourteen states in the country, primarily to the east and south of Mexico City, such as to Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
and the Yucatan Peninsula
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
. There are nine bus companies that operate from here with the four main companies being Estrella Roja, Autotransportes Texcoco, Autobuses de Oriente
Autobuses de Oriente
Autobuses de Oriente, S.A. de C.V. is one of the most important Mexican bus companies, running first-class and executive-class buses. It was founded with six buses on December 23, 1939 on the route Mexico City-Puebla-Perote-Jalapa-Veracruz. Its first buses were Bentley Continentals. It was not an...
(ADO) and Grupo Texcoco. There over four hundred busses operating seventeen routes, with carry an average of 10,000 passengers per day. The terminal gets crowded during vacation periods and long holiday weekends. During these weekends, traveler totals are ten percent or more above normal. The busiest times are the Christmas and Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
periods, which can see anywhere from 180,000 to 220,000 passengers go through the terminal.
The terminal was built in 1978 by the federal government under José López Portillo
José López Portillo
José López Portillo y Pacheco was the President of Mexico from 1976 to 1982.Born in Mexico City, López Portillo studied Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico before beginning his political career with the Institutional Revolutionary Party in 1959.He held several positions in the...
. In 2003, there were renovations including the pedestrian bridges, a tunnel for taxis, restructuring the main local bus stop, installation of street lighting and the banning of vendors.
Crime has been an issue at the terminal. One reason for the problems is the rise in crime in the surrounding neighborhoods in general. Another has been the operation of unlicensed taxis although much of this has been relieved by the construction of an underground station for legal taxis. One particular problem at least since the 2000s has been the prostitution of minors. Girls and young women as young as ten years old from poor parts of the country are targeted as they arrive to Mexico City. The terminal has over 2,000 security workers during peak times with twenty security cameras.
In 2011, some of government efforts to encourage reading were centered on the terminal. In conjuction with the Autobuses de Oriente (ADO), consisting of free copies of books with texts by Mexican authors such as Elena Poniatowska
Elena Poniatowska
Elena Poniatowska is a Mexican journalist and author. Her generation of writers include Carlos Fuentes, José Emilio Pacheco and Carlos Monsiváis.-Life:Poniatowska was born in Paris to Prince Jean Joseph Evremont Sperry Poniatowski and Paula Amor Yturbe...
, José Agustín
José Agustín
José Agustín Ramírez Gómez is a Mexican novelist.-Career:Agustin's first novel, La Tumba was the brief but provocative story of a Mexican upperclass teen, deemed indecent by the public but gathering praise from older writers...
and Efraín Huerta
Efraín Huerta
Efraín Huerta was a Mexican poet.Huerta began studying law at the UNAM in Mexico City but abandoned his studies in favour of journalism and literature...
. Also, the first book “tianguis
Tianguis
A tianguis is an open air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days in a town or city neighborhood in Mexico and Central America. This bazaar tradition has its roots well into the pre-Hispanic period and continues in many cases essentially unchanged into the present day....
” or market began operating at the terminal, with books from twenty different publishers. It operates intermittently about every two months.