THE Love Bus in Davao City will continue providing free rides to commuters despite rising fuel prices, with a new route expected to expand its service to more passengers.
The bus service currently operates two routes: University of Mindanao-Matina to Tugbok and Lasang to Sasa via Roxas Avenue.
“Ang atong Love Bus padayon gihapon naga-operate sa duha ka rota: naa ta UM-Matina to Tugbok, Lasang to Sasa via Roxas, and naa ta bag-o nga memorandum circular nga possible nga naay additional nga route (Our Love Bus continues to operate on two routes — UM-Matina to Tugbok and Lasang to Sasa via Roxas — and we have a new memorandum circular that could add another route),” said lawyer Ernest Benz Davila, chief of the Transportation Development Office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-11.
The Love Bus, launched in August 2025, is a rebrand of the Department of Transportation’s Libreng Sakay Program patterned after the Metro Manila Love Bus introduced in the 1970s.
Private bus operators serve the program under a gross service contracting scheme with the Department of Transportation. The buses provide free rides during peak hours in the morning and late afternoon to evening.
The program forms part of the government’s efforts to ease the burden on commuters facing limited public transportation and rising transportation costs.
As of Sept. 14, the Love Bus had served 3,324,305 commuters across its two Davao City routes.
Davila said officials have yet to finalize details of the additional route, but the memorandum circular identifies the proposed Toril-Roxas route.
The route will connect downtown Davao City, particularly Roxas Avenue, to Toril, a growing district about 17 kilometers from the city center.
“That will operate during the peak hours, particularly from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., libre ni siya para sa atoang commuters (It will operate during peak hours, particularly from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the service will be free for commuters),” Davila said.
The Love Bus complements other free public transportation services, including the Davao City government’s Peak Hours Augmentation Bus Service and the DC Bus. PIA DAVAO
