DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista admitted on Wednesday that the long-term implementation of its Libreng Sakay Program, which provided fare-free public transport rides to millions of commuters, is “untenable.”
When asked for comment on the seemingly disproportionate allotment of Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte for her own Libreng Sakay Project versus the transport department’s zero budget for the same program, Bautista said the funding for the agency’s initiative is hinged on the “prerogative of the Department of Budget and Management in accordance with government’s fiscal priorities and with due approval from Congress.”
“We should understand though that while Libreng Sakay provided much appreciated transport relief during the pandemic, its long-term viability is untenable considering the constraints to the national budget,” Bautista said.
Duterte, during the House Committee on Appropriations hearing on Wednesday, proposed the allocation of P32.5 million to operate satellite offices and procure vehicles for her Libreng Sakay Project.
Last month, the DOTr sought P12 billion to continue its Service Contracting Program, which also houses the Libreng Sakay Program, in 2023.
However, the budget was not included in the national expenditure program, since it was a non-recurring expenditure item.
The SCP was first introduced through Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act. It was then extended through general appropriations as a means to cushion the effect of the pandemic on both commuters and drivers.
Under the program, transport service providers and workers will pay operators and drivers based on the maximum number of trips made per week, with or without passengers, and in compliance with agreed-upon performance indicators. PUV operators will also receive a one-time incentive of P5,000 per unit to cover “pre-operating costs” while operational incentives will be given on a weekly basis.
Libreng Sakay or Free Ride Program, which allows commuters to ride the Edsa Busway without paying their fares, is a sub-component of SCP.
“We are more than willing to collaborate with the OVP on Libreng Sakay as we did several weeks back, dedicating five OVP buses for Libreng Sakay in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao,” Bautista said.
Without funding for next year, the SCP is expected to run only until December 31, 2022.
The DOTr earlier said it will appeal for the inclusion of the Libreng Sakay in its budget for 2023.
Move As One Coalition earlier recommended the removal of the “flawed free ride program,” while expanding the number of public transport units to address the transport crisis.
It noted that the Free Ride Program of the government is not a “genuine” SCP, as it should include greater involvement of local government units in collecting fares, micro-financing, and co-implementing the program, among many others in Move As One’s list.
The government, Move as One said, should “adopt a proper service contracting program and speed up its implementation.”
This was backed by Jose Regin F. Regidor, a research fellow at the University of the Philippines-Diliman National Center for Transportation Studies, who said the Libreng Sakay Program “is not sustainable since there is the same poor quality of service and there is limited funds to cover most cities in the country.”
Image credits: Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook