EDSA Busway commuters, take note. The 24/7 free rides offered by the EDSA Bus Carousel are set to end on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2022. This was announced by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
The government is ending the EDSA Busway free rides program by December 31, 2022
According to the two agencies, regular fares will be collected starting at 5:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2023. This will apply to the entire stretch of the EDSA Busway route, from the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) to Monumento and vice versa. Minimum fare has been set at Php 15.
There are currently no plans to extend the free rides beyond January 1, 2023, as the DOTr reportedly plans to complete the privatization of the Php 551-million infrastructure by next year, according to DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista.
Commuters can expect to pay a minimum of Php 15 for fare starting January 1, 2023
“We hope to conclude it by 2023. We will work with the private sector and we will encourage investors to participate in the privatization of the EDSA Busway,” he said, adding that the government can no longer afford to subsidize the free rides, which reportedly cost up to Php 12 million daily.
According to Bautista, his agency was compelled to prepare the terms of reference for the privatization as several groups have already expressed interest in acquiring the concession for the EDSA Busway.
There are plans to complete the privatization of the EDSA Busway by next year
As of the LTFRB’s tally last December 27, the 24/7 free rides on EDSA Bus Carousel under Phase 3 of the government’s Service Contracting Program (SCP) have benefitted a total of 80,832,186 commuters since commencing last December 1. A total of 751 public utility bus units fielded by 87 operators took part in the program.
When the free service expires, the DOTr says it plans to maintain between 600 and 650 buses plying the EDSA Busway route. For 2023, the agency is set to receive Php 1.2 billion in funding for a new SCP, where public utility vehicles (PUVs) will be hired to provide free rides to commuters along transport routes.
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