The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday launched a “Libreng Sakay” (Free Ride) program in the city, deploying eight buses to a popular route during peak hours to ease the burden on commuters.
The free service will run from Lasang to Roxas via Sasa Road daily, including weekends and holidays. The buses will operate from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. wanted the ‘Libreng Sakay’ program strengthened to help commuters not only in Davao but all over the country,” Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said in an interview.
Dizon said around 6,000 commuters are expected to benefit daily from the initiative, which aims to strengthen the public transportation system and encourage a shift in commuter behavior by making public transit more attractive and accessible. He noted that commuters could save around PHP100 per round trip.
The DOTr, in partnership with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), is also studying the addition of buses to the route and the possibility of free rides on the Cabaguio route.
Dizon said the program has a yearly budget of PHP70 million and is scheduled to continue until 2028. Its pilot implementation in Cebu and Davao comes as a precursor to the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP).
The free rides will complement the existing Peak Hour Augmentation Bus Service (PHABS) and the soon-to-be-launched Davao Interim Bus Service (DIBS). (PNA)