THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 is processing the application of 50 more units of public transportation for deployment under the second scheme of the free ride service program in Cebu.
Eduardo Montealto, Jr., LTFRB 7 director, said these include 30 tourist vans for healthcare workers and 20 public utility buses (PUBs) for authorized persons outside of residence.
At present, a total of 92 PUBs and modern public utility jeepneys (MPUJs) are deployed under the program and are plying various routes in Cebu, particularly areas near hospitals.
Montealto also said they are working on putting up more stops in Talisay City, which they plan to implement by Wednesday of next week.
“The bus company is still coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) and their proposed routes is up to Minglanilla,” he told SunStar Cebu in a text message.
Under the latest scheme of the free-ride service, the government provides an incentive of P45 per kilometer covered for MPUJs and P80 per kilometer covered for PUBs. Thirty percent of the amount goes to the drivers while 70 percent is for the operators.
The first scheme of the free ride service program, which started in January 2021, provides free service to healthcare workers only. The drivers are given P11 incentive per kilometer covered while the payment of other passengers (non-healthcare workers) goes to the operators.
Montealto said the program, initially, will last until June 2021. (WBS)