The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will resume on Monday, Sept. 13, its expanded free ride service for authorized persons outside residence (APORs) and essential workers nationwide.
This, after the DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) rolled out the second phase of its Service Contracting Program which aims to aid affected public utility vehicle (PUV) operators and drivers in their everyday operational expenses amid restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic.
The LTFRB suspended the program last July 1 after the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 expired.
The program has been extended and now being implemented under the 2021 General Appropriations Act with a P3 billion budget allotted for PUV operators until December 2021.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the Department has expanded the Service Contracting Program Phase 2 and now covers other regions across the country.
“Noon, sa libreng sakay, limitado ang operations nito sa Metro Manila. Ngayon ay mas pinalawak natin ang coverage nito. Sakop na po ng programa ang ibang rehiyon at lugar sa bansa, at maging ang mga APORs at essential workers (The free ride service had limited operations before in Metro Manila. The program has been expanded and now covers other regions in the country, as well as APORs and essential workers),” Tugade explained.
Data from the DOTr showed that over 31 million Filipinos benefitted from the agency’s free ride service during its previous implementation, while the LTFRB was able to distribute almost P1.5 billion total payout to operators and drivers who participated in the program.
Under the program, the government through the DOTr and the LTFRB will provide a weekly payout to PUV operators and drivers based on kilometers and trips on top of a one-time incentive of P5,000 per unit.
For his part, LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III called on anew PUV operators and drivers to participate in the program to help them earn a sufficient and sustainable income and to also serve frontline workers amid the health crisis.
“The program provides for operators and drivers an opportunity to earn based on the number of trips they run per week and make their public utility vehicle (PUV) operations sustainable whether they have passengers or none,” Delgra said.
Meanwhile, Landbank of the Philippines President and CEO Cecilia Borromeo thanked the DOTr for being a part of the program’s relaunching and to be able to extend help to the pandemic-stricken transport workers.
“We thank the DOTr and LTFRB for this another opportunity for Land bank to take part in continuing efforts to advance the country's transportation sector. We welcome this collaboration to deliver financial assistance to PUV operators nationwide towards ensuring pay and uninterrupted operations of public transportation in the new normal,” Borromeo said in a statement.