THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the Libreng Sakay (Free Ride) program in the city on July 24.
The Libreng Sakay in the city will utilize eight buses during peak hours to ferry commuters along the Roxas Avenue- Lasang Route (via Sasa). The ferry will be able to service 8,000 commuters during its hours of operation from 6 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m.
The launching was graced by the presence of Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, who said this initiative was upon the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to the DOTr to find ways to assist the commuters who have difficulty getting public transportation during rush hours.
“As you can see, the cost and the inconvenience is really very difficult for our commuters on a daily basis all over the country, not just Davao. So the President instructed DOTr to find ways to provide some assistance to our commuters, to our students, to our senior citizens all over the country,” Dizon said.
The free ride program was launched in Metro Manila using the MRT (Manila Metro Rail Transit System) and the LRT (Light Rail Transit), but according to Sec. Dizon, the President, wants Libreng Sakay to also be implemented in other major cities in the country.
On July 23, another libreng sakay initiative was launched in Cebu.
Dizon said the service is done every day, including weekends. The program has a yearly budget of P70 million and will continue until 2028.
“Malaking bagay ito (this is a big thing) because I am told that Lasang to downtown is one hundred pesos roundtrip, so you can just imagine one hundred pesos per day saved by our students, by our workers,” the transportation secretary said.
The Libreng Sakay initiative by the DOTr will complement the current Peak Hours Augmentation Bus System (Phabs) being implemented by the Davao City Government by deploying buses in several city routes during peak hours. The local government of Davao City has also purchased 10 low-floor buses for its libreng sakay program under its Davao Interim Bus Service and is expected to operate in the last quarter of this year. PIA DAVAO