DOTr mulls fare discount in EDSA bus carousel

Instead of bringing back the free rides, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is studying the possibility of giving fare discounts to commuters using EDSA bus carousel amid limited funds.

“Mas tinitingnan ng kagawaran na makapagbigay ng subsidiya at diskwento sa ating mga pasahero,” said DOTr Undersecretary Mark Steven Pastor in Joseph Morong’s report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday.

"Ito’y pinag-aaralan ng LTFRB mas mabawasan lang yung pamasahe kung sakaling ito ang magiging direksyon ng DOTr at LTFRB," he added.

The Mega Manila Consortium Corporation (MMCC), one of the two groups that run EDSA Bus Carousel, said that their passengers have been reduced by 20 percent since they started collecting fares on January 1.

“’Yung pamasahe kasi ng MRT kung ikukumpara sa amin… ‘yung point-to-point namin mas mahal,” MMCC Internal Affairs officer Juliet de Jesus said.

For the 2023 national budget, around P1.2 billion has been allocated for service contracting programs such as the EDSA bus carousel.

However, if the government will provide free rides, the fund will be insufficient.

The government spent P12 to P14 million daily last year for the free bus ride, according to the LTFRB.

Pastor said that there’s a possibility that discounted fares will also be implemented in Cebu City and Davao City.

“Nationwide ang ating implementasyon sa P1.285 billion under the service contracting program,” he added.

The DOTr is still waiting for the LTFRB to liquidate the P8.4 billion spent for the service contracting program in 2022 before releasing the fund for the proposed discounted fares, the report said.—Mel Matthew Doctor/LDF, GMA Integrated News