EDSA Carousel Rides Will Be Free Again as Libreng Sakay Program Gets P1.28-B Funding
DBM assures funding for Service Contracting program.
(SPOT.ph) Commuters will be able to avail of free EDSA Carousel bus rides again as the Department of Budget and Management assured funding for the government's Service Contracting program this year.
The Service Contracting program, which allows for free rides on EDSA Carousel buses and on other public utility vehicles, has received a budget of P1.28 billion under the 2023 General Appropriations Act, said Budget Sec. Amenah Pangandaman in a statement today, January 12.
“We understand the plight of our commuting public. And so President Bongbong Marcos gave us a directive to do our part, and to exert our best to help ease their burden. The Service Contracting Program, which funds Libreng Sakay, is a big help,” she said.
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Free rides on EDSA Carousel set to return
Free rides on EDSA Carousel buses ended on January 1 after the Libreng Sakay program was implemented for the whole month of December 2022, just in time for the holidays.
“Malaking tulong po ang tipid-pasahe sa araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga kababayan natin. Whatever amount they save daily, they can reallocate to equally or more important needs such as budget for food, electricity, tuition fee, among others,” Pangandaman also said.
The EDSA Carousel system has 15 dedicated bus stops and has served over 164 million passengers during the implementation of the Libreng Sakay program as of December 27, 2022, the LTFRB said.
Here are the dedicated bus stops of the EDSA Carousel system:
- Monumento
- Bagong Barrio
- Balintawak
- Kaingin
- Roosevelt
- North Avenue
- Quezon Avenue
- Nepa Q. Mart
- Main Avenue
- Santolan
- Ortigas
- Guadalupe
- Buendia
- Taft Avenue
- Roxas Boulevard