DOTr, LTFRB free rides program comes to a halt 

Commuters will have to go back to paying their fares in the meantime, as the Libreng Sakay (Free Rides) program implemented by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transport Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has been temporarily stopped beginning July 1, 2021.   

The free rides program has been suspended due to lack of funding

According to the LTFRB’s press release, the program’s suspension comes as Republic Act 11494's effectivity lapses on June 30, 2021. Also known as the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2, it was enacted on September 11, 2020 to provide additional government measures in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes subsidizing free rides for commuters. 

Funding for the program comes from RA 11494, which was previously extended until the end of June through RA 11519. As the legislative and executive branches failed to pass a second extension of Bayanihan 2, the free rides have been put on hold until further notice.  

Commuters will have to go back to shouldering the cost of travel in the meantime

Despite this, the DOTr and LTFRB say they will exhaust all measures to resume the program for the riding public at the soonest possible time. The additional funding for the free rides will be sourced from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2021 and is reportedly being processed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).  

Other government branches can still offer free rides on a case-to-case basis

The LTFRB in particular said that it is still providing payouts and incentives to public transport drivers and operators taking part in the Service Contracting Program, where they are paid based on the number of kilometers traveled whether with passengers or not. 

According to the agency’s latest records, more than 19,000 drivers have received the initial payout, while 8,347 have received onboarding incentives of up to Php 25,000 in different regions. All in all, payouts and incentives distributed under the program have amounted to Php 1.5 billion. 

Public transport completely stopped at the height of pandemic restrictions

From March 29 to June 28, 2021, more than 27.9 million commuters have reportedly benefitted from the free rides program. 

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