THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) yesterday said the free bus rides on the EDSA Carousel will resume as soon as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) releases the new guidelines for its implementation.
Speaking on public briefing “Laging Handa,” LTFRB Technical Division head Joel Bolano said the national government provided funding for the continuation of the program for the commuting public under the 2023 budget.
“The program has an allotment under the 2023 budget but the guidelines are still being finalized. We will resume providing free rides as soon as we are clear about the rules for its implementation,” the transport official said.
Bolano however said that unlike the previous year when the free ride program was allotted P8.4 billion, the 2023 budget funding has been reduced to only P2.1 billion.
“Last year we had a sizeable funding of P8.4 billion so we extended the program nationwide. This year, we are looking at how far we can take it, whether it will just be limited to Metro Manila or if there is a way to cover a few provinces. We will know once the guidelines are issued by the DOTr,” he clarified.
In 2022, among the provinces that benefited from the LTFRB’s Libreng Sakay program were Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Tarlac, and Zambales in Central Luzon and Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental in Central Visayas.
Bolano likewise belied reports that there has been a reduction of buses assigned to service the EDSA Busway.
“I would like to make clear that there has been no decrease in the number of buses on the EDSA Busway. What happened was the restoration of the original existing number of buses that were granted special permits which is 550 units,” he pointed out.
He said the LTFRB deployed additional bus units during the Christmas season to augment the 550 units to address the expected increase in ridership.
“We augmented the bus units deployed during peak hours because of the anticipated jump in ridership because first, the service was free and second, it was Christmas season. We did not make any reduction, we just went back to allowing buses with special permits to service the EDSA Busway,” he said.
Regarding the reported plans to privatize the EDSA Busway system, Bolano declined to make any pronouncement saying the matter has not been brought before the Board.
