President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday approved the extension of free rides at the EDSA Bus Carousel and the free rides for students on Metro Manila's trains and the Philippine National Railways (PNR).
In a statement, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said free EDSA Carousel bus rides would be extended until December 2022 while the free train rides for students on the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT2), and PNR would be from August 22 until November 4, 2022.
READ: ‘Libreng sakay’ sa EDSA carousel bus, inaprubahan ni PBBM maging para sa mga estudyante sa MRT-3, LRT at PNR –DOTR | @dzrhnews
— Christian Maño (@xtian_mano) July 1, 2022
📸: @DOTrPH pic.twitter.com/mI6foU3db5
The move, according to the DOTr, would “ease the burden of rising living expenses on Filipino families and help them save money, especially with the return of face-to-face classes after more than two years.”
In its decision to not extend the free rides in MRT3, which was implemented by the Duterte administration, the DOTr said the fares in the EDSA railway line were "already heavily subsidized.”
The free MRT-3 rides ended last Thursday, the last day of the Duterte administration and the first day of the Marcos government.
