THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) has revised the “Libreng Sakay” program for students, limiting the service only to the Light Rail Transit (LRT-2).
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the free LRT-2 service for students will be implemented when classes open on August 22 until Nov. 4, 2022.
Last July 1, the DOTr said President Marcos approved its recommendation extending the free EDSA Carousel bus rides; granting free rides to students using the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT), LRT-2 and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) and; halting free rides to all other passengers on MRT-3.
On top of budget constraints, limiting the free rides to the LRT-2 will benefit more students as the system runs through the University Belt.
Cesar Chavez, DOTr undersecretary for railways, confirmed the free ride service will not be extended on MRT-3. The free ride service for students on PNR will also not be implemented.
Chavez said the government already heavily subsidizes the operation of these two rail systems.
The government has incurred over P500 million foregone revenues during the three months of the free ride service on the MRT-3, which benefited 28 million passengers.
The DOTr will also seek an additional budget of P1.4 billion from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to continue the implementation of free ride service for the Edsa Bus Carousel until the end of December this year, according to Bautista.
Meanwhile, urban mobility groups said Bautista is on the right track in addressing the public transportation crisis left by the former administration.
“Bautista’s latest directive to fully deploy 550 buses on the EDSA Busway is a sign the transport chief recognizes the public transport supply shortage. Bautista ought to look more closely into the supply program, specifically the operational challenges faced by the industry and the LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board) processes in relation to the limited supply,” said Robert Siy of the Move as One Coalition.
During the start of the pandemic in 2020, the DOTr, through the LTFRB, suspended all modes of public transport. Since the reopening of the economy, the LTFRB has been slowly authorizing the opening of routes and issuing permits to allow the operation of new public utility vehicles (PUVs). Commuter groups have campaigned for the immediate release of all PUVs, specifically the traditional jeepneys, which were last to be allowed to operate.
The Move As One Coalition had earlier warned the DOTr that Libreng Sakay is not the optimal way in implementing the service contracting program under the 2022 national budget. The Libreng Sakay program has forced many operators not included in the program to shut down.
