P1.3 billion allotted for free ridesBudget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said that under the 2023 national budget, P1.285 billion would be allocated for the SCP as implemented by the Department of Transportation (DOTr). MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has earmarked P1.3 billion to cover the government’s service contracting program (SCP), where free rides are provided to commuters in and out of the metro. The SCP allows agencies to hire public utility vehicles to service transport routes and provide free rides to commuters along the EDSA busway and several regions outside Metro Manila. The DBM emphasized that the free rides are a big help to Filipino commuters as their transport savings can already be used for other necessities such as food and house bills. The free bus rides benefited 389,579 passengers daily, peaking to 400,000 during holidays.

Source: Philippine Star January 13, 2023 06:15 UTC