The free rides of the EDSA Busway System will continue this year.
This is after the government allocated P1.285 billion to the Free Ride program.
According to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the Service Contracting program of the Department of Transportation has been approved based on Republic Act 11936 or Fiscal Year 2023 General Appropriations Act signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The Service Contracting program enables the continuation of Free Rides for the public, including bus commuters along EDSA.
Pangandaman said the government understands the plight of the commuting public, so the President gave them a directive to do everything to help ease their burden.
He said the free ride is a great help to the public to save money and reduce their burden of high expenses due to inflation.
Daily fare savings can be used for other needs such as food, electricity, tuition fees and more.
Free Ride is a joint program of the DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to help commuters amid rising prices of goods and services.
The free ride ended at the end of December 2022 and will continue into 2023.
As of December 27, 2022, the LTFRB recorded 164,966,373 passengers who availed the Free Ride along EDSA.
Victory Liner buses Cubao-Baguio trip suspended for 30 days
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board imposed a one-month suspension on 26 bus units of Victory Liner Inc. on the Cubao-Baguio City trip — this is after the accident that killed and injured several in La Union.
While suspended, the LTFRB will subject the drivers assigned to the suspended buses to a road safety seminar by the Land TRansportation Office.
The roadworthiness certificate of the bus units other than the one involved in the accident is also submitted to the company, as well as the proof that it provided financial assistance and insurance benefits to the families of the accident victims.
Aside from the suspension of operations, the LTFRB is also giving Victory Liner 72 hours to submit an explanation why their Certificate of Public Convenience should not be suspended, canceled or revoked.
They are also scheduled for a hearing on the morning of January 24 at the TFRB Central Office in East Avenue, Quezon City. It will be a surrender of their right to be heard by the board if they fail to respond.
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