LTFRB offers free rides for APORs, essential workers
MANILA, Philippines — The transportation department has rolled out free rides on public utility vehicles on 44 routes for authorized persons outside residences or essential workers, it disclosed Tuesday.
Much like 2020's enhanced community quarantine, many were left stranded and unable to find rides in public transportation hubs on the first day of the implementation of the ECQ. Major thoroughfares were left congested amid the slow-moving checkpoints.
In a statement, the Department of Transportation disclosed that the free rides were offered by drivers registered under its service contracting program. Commuters only have to show valid identification proving they are APORs.
Data from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board show that 36,438 drivers have so far registered for the government's service contracting scheme, where drivers will be subsidized to ply their routes and service the public. The department's target is 60,000 drivers.
According to the LTFRB, the 44 routes offering free rides will begin starting 4 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The routes are:
- Novaliches - Malinta via Paso de Blas
- Bagumbayan Taguig - Pasig via San Joaquin
- Fort Bonifacio Gate 3 - Guadalupe, Market Market (ABC)
- Pandacan - L. Guinto
- Quezon Avenue - LRT 5th Avenue Station
- Cubao (Diamond) - Roces Super Palengke
- EDSA Buendia - Mandaluyong City Hall via Jupiter
- Divisoria - Gasak via H. Lopez
- Punta - Quiapo via Sta Mesa
- Boni Pinatubo - Stop & Shop
- Boni (Robinson's Complex) - Kalentong/JRC
- Nichols - Vito Cruz
- Filinvest City Loop
- Alabang Town Center (ATC) - Ayala Alabang Village
- Vito Cruz Taft Avenue - PITX Loop
- Bagong Silang - SM Fairview
- Malanday - Divisoria via M. H. Del Pilar
- Eastwood, Libis - Capitol Commons
- Gasak - Recto via Dagat-dagatan
- PITX - Lawton
- Alabang - Zapote
- PITX - Nichols
- PITX - SM Southmall
- QMC Loop
- Cubao - Sta Lucia (Pasig)
- Rosario Junction - San Juan via Pinaglabanan, Ortigas
- Rodriguez - BFCT
- Blumentritt, Manila - Sta Quiteria, Caloocan
- Guadalupe, Makati - FTI, Taguig via JP Rizal Ext.
- Alabang, Muntinlupa - Buencamino, Muntinlupa
- Alabang, Muntinlupa - Tunasan
- Litex, Quezon City - Rodriguez, Rizal
- Palmera, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan - Novaliches, Quezon City
- Parang-Cubao (Cubao - Silangan, San Mateo, Rizal)
- Munoz - Quiapo
- Alabang - Calamba via SLEX
- Balingasa, Balintawak - Muzon, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
- Diego Cera Avenue, Las Pinas - Merville
- Rodriguez (Sub-Urban) - SM North EDSA
- Muzon Central Terminal, SJDM - Novaliches, Quirino Hwy
- Baclaran - NAIA/Baltao
- SSS Village - Cubao via Aurora
- Malanday - Sta Cruz. via Huertas Oroqueta
- Malanday - Pier South via McArthur Highway
'Free rides may affect transport supply'
In an open letter to the transportation department though, transport economist Robert Siy of the Move as One transport coalition called on the government to be wary about offering free public transport if if doing so will only later on result in reduced public transport supply.
"There may be routes where operators agree to offer free rides on the promise of a service contract from DOTr. However, they may decide to reduce the number of units in operation because they are unable to cover the operational costs of free rides if DOTr’s payments for the service contracts are delayed by several weeks," he said.
"Many more operators will gain confidence in service contracting if they have the assurance of being paid promptly, say, within one week."
Police enforcers manning the quarantine control points in and around the so-called NCR+ bubble confirmed observations that public utility vehicles were largely not present to service commuters.
In an assessment of the first day of the enhanced community quarantine, the Philippine National Police observed that 57% of vehicles plying the streets were of private motorists, versus just 39% of PUVs for commuters — a figure that does not bode well for the 88% of households in Metro Manila that do not own private vehicles.
Siy added that service contracting as it stands should also be extended to traditional PUJs, while the program should target high-volume routes to service more of the commuting public.
"At the moment, the free ride program supported by service contracting is only applicable to buses and modern PUJs. This covers only a fraction of the routes in NCR. Traditional PUJs should be included in this program to ensure broader coverage," he said.
"To achieve faster and more significant results, the service contracting program should [also] target high-volume routes so that a larger number of commuters can benefit from a more stable and predictable supply of public transport."
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