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LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — Free rides offered to commuters in the Ilocos region will end on Sunday, July 3, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced on Friday, July 1.
Under the program dubbed “Libreng Sakay” (free ride), public utility vehicle operators and drivers participating in the government’s free ridership program will receive a one-time payout and weekly payments based on the number of kilometers traveled per week, whether they have passengers or not.
From April to June, at least 3 million commuters were able to enjoy free rides from at least 28 transport operators with 496 units which traversed 32 routes in the Ilocos region, the regional LTFRB said.
The program was part of the Service Contracting Program Phase III under the General Appropriations Acts 2022 of the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB.
It had an allocation of P7 billion for its nationwide rollout that benefited around 13,000 to 15,000 public utility vehicles in about 1,000 routes.