Unlike some overly positive individuals out there, we reckon a lot of commuters weren’t exactly excited to go back to work at the start of the year. It’s not just because of the current state of public transport in the city—another big reason was that the EDSA Busway’s Libreng Sakay program had already ended.
Well, the good news now is that the free rides under the Service Contracting program will once again be available to the public. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has announced that the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) budget under the Fiscal Year 2023 General Appropriations Act includes a P1.28 billion allocation specifically for the Libreng Sakay program.
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“May pondo po ang Service Contracting Program sa ating FY2023 GAA,” said DBM secretary Amenah Pangandaman. “Naglaan po ang pamahalaan ng P1.285 billion para maipagpatuloy ang programang ito ngayong taon.
“We understand the plight of our commuting public,” added Pangandaman. “Malaking tulong po ang tipid-pasahe sa araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga kababayan natin. Whatever amount they save daily, they can reallocate to equally or more important needs such as budget for food, electricity, tuition fee, among others,”
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III, meanwhile, said that the program will resume once the agency receives funding from the DBM. We’ll be sure to keep you posted once we receive confirmation. What say you, commuters?
