Free rides for medical frontliners, essential workers, APORs to resume Monday

The transportation department will resume providing free rides for medical frontliners, essential workers, and authorized persons outside of residence (APORs) on Monday, September 13.

According to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the free rides will be expanded to areas outside Metro Manila under the second phase of its Service Contracting Program.

Under the program, public utility vehicle operators and drivers are given wages depending on their trips per week, regardless of the number of passengers. 

They are paid on a weekly basis, with a P3-billion funding under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2021.

“Ginagawa po natin ang mga ito dahil ang Kagawaran ng Transportasyon ay naniniwala na hindi lamang pang-hanapbuhay ng tsuper at operator — ito po ay kaakibat sa paghahanap-buhay ng iba pa nating kababayan sa Republika ng Pilipinas,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement.

(We are doing this because the DOTr believes that this is not only for the drivers and operators, but this is also hinged on the livelihood of our countrymen.)

The DOTr said there were 31.6 million Filipinos who availed of the free rides in the initial phase, with P1.5 billion awarded by the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to operators and drivers.

It has also allocated P3.388 billion for the payouts of operators and drivers who joined the program.

The Land Bank of the Philippines was also tapped to serve as a payment partner for the program.

“We welcome this collaboration to deliver financial assistance to PUV operators nationwide towards ensuring pay and uninterrupted operations of public transportation in the new normal,” said Land Bank president and chief executive officer Cecilia Borromeo.

The National Capital Region remains under the modified enhanced community quarantine, which will last until September 15, 2021. 

The government is crafting guidelines for the implementation of a new alert level system with granular lockdowns in the region to restrict movement as part of measures to address the threat of COVID-19. —KG, GMA News