The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has apologized to passengers inconvenienced by long queues in its free ride scheme in EDSA Busway Carousel on Wednesday.
The huge volume of passengers came after the operations of MRT-3 were suspended starting Wednesday for its Holy Week maintenance shut down.
As a result, the EDSA Busway Carousel was overwhelmed with a huge crowd of commuters either going to their workplaces or who were returning home.
"Lubos na humihingi ng paumanhin ang buong pamunuan ng LTFRB sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon," said the LTFRB in a statement on Wednesday evening.
(The management of LTFRB is sorry for the current situation.)
According to the LTFRB, they have extended the operating hours of the free ride scheme in the EDSA Busway Carousel to accommodate the huge crowd of passengers there.
"Ang serbisyo ng Libreng Sakay sa EDSA Busway Carousel … ay nagsisimula tuwing alas kwatro (4:00) ng umaga at nagtatapos ng alas onse (11:00) ng gabi, ngunit dahil sa hindi inaasahang dagsa ng tao ngayong araw ay pahahabain ang oras ng serbisyo nito," said the agency.
(The services of Free Ride in EDSA Busway Carousel… begins at 4:00 p.m. and ends at 11:00 p.m., but due to the unexpected surge of people today, we are extending its servicing hours.)
The LTFRB added that more units from the MMCC and ES Transport will be added to the buses plying the EDSA Carousel route to serve more commuters, while skip buses and rescue buses have been deployed in stations where there are long queues
In addition, a mini loop around Ortigas station was opened to reduce the volume of passengers using the service.
"Nakatutok ang aming ahensya, katuwang ang Department of Transportation (DOTr), upang nakapagbigay ng agarang solusyon upang mapanatili ang pagserbisyo sa mga pasahero," LTFRB said.
(Our agency, alogn with the Department of Transportation, is monitoring the situation to immediately extend solutions to maintain the services to passengers.)
The free rides service has been offered since Monday, April 11, under the third phase of the DOTr's Service Contracting Program.
On Wednesday, it expanded the scheme to ply more routes including:
- Parang, Marikina – Cubao (DCM Transport Service Corporation)
- SSS Village – Cubao via Aurora Blvd (DCM Transport Service Corporation)
- Novaliches – MRT North EDSA (CIT) (Speed Wheelers Transport Corporation)
- Cubao (Diamond) – Roces/Super Palengke (Roces Transport Service Coop. Inc.)
- Quezon Ave – LRT 5th Ave., Caloocan City (Roces Transport Service Coop. Inc.)
- Bagumbayan, Taguig – Pasig Palengke via San Joaquin (Taguig Transport Service Cooperative)
- Lagro – Novaliches via Zagala St. (Juan Transport Services Cooperative)
- Lagro – QMC (TOLFETANO Corporation)
- Buendia, LRT 1 – PITX Loop (TOLFETANO Corporation)
- QMC Loop (TOLFETANO Corporation)
- Parang, Marikina – Cubao (SORRAIA Corporation)
- Sangandaan - Polo via Tenejeros (Malabon Jeepney Transport Service Cooperative)
- Monumento – Polo via Acacia M.H. Del Pilar (Malabon Jeepney Transport Service Cooperative)
- Gasak – Divisoria via H. Lopez (Malabon Jeepney Transport Service Cooperative)
- Gasak – Recto via Dagat-dagatan (Malabon Jeepney Transport Service Cooperative)
- Lagro – Novaliches (Lagro - Novaliches Jeepney Drivers and Transport Cooperative)
- Cubao – Project 4 via P. Tuazon (Project 4 - Cubao Transport Cooperative)
- Robinsons Novaliches – Vito Cruz (997 Sandigan Transport Service Cooperative)
- SM Fairview – Buendia (997 Sandigan Transport Service Cooperative)
- Bagong Silang Novaliches via Susano Road (Makabayan Bagong Silang Transport Service Cooperative)
According to the LTFRB, a total of 562 public utility vehicles from 12 cooperatives and corporations are servicing the said routes.
