THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) 7 has already deployed 47 public utility buses, tourist bus and tourist vans to service health care workers in Cebu for free.
The agency, with the Department of Transportation, has also deployed 95 modern public utility jeepneys (MPUJs) to ferry authorized persons outside of residence (Apor) in Cebu for free.
LTFRB 7 Director Eduardo Montealto Jr. said they will deploy 86 more public utility vehicles (PUVs) for Apor that will ply provincial, inter-city and Cebu City routes.
This is part of the government’s free ride service contracting program, which started in January and will end in June this year.
Of the 47 PUVs deployed for health care workers, nine PUBs ply the Naga City-Chong Hua Hospital-Mandaue City via South Road Properties (SRP) route, four PUBs and two tourist buses ply the Danao City-University of Cebu Medical Center route, two PUBs ply the Talamban Road-Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center route and 30 tourist vans ply the Parkmall-Mactan loop service.
Thirteen MPUJs operating for Apor ply the Talisay City-Cebu City route, 12 ply the route of the 17B jeepney (Apas to Lahug to Jones to Carbon Public Market and vice versa), 11 ply the route of the 17D jeepney (Apas to Lahug to Capitol to Jones to Carbon and vice versa).
The other remaining units are also deployed for the following routes: Banawa to Panagdait, Bulacao to SM, Busay to Carbon, Cebu City Hall to IT Park and Urgello to Parkmall, among others.
Eighteen tourist buses are for deployment next week covering the SM City Cebu/North Bus Terminal to Sogod route and Carmen-Ayala Mall via Mandaue Highway and vice versa.
As to inter-city routes, the LTFRB 7 plans to deploy two tourist buses for the Labangon-JCentre Mall route, three tourist buses for the Canduman to Cebu City loop service, 10 units for the Cebu City to Mandaue City loop route, 15 units for the Talisay City to Lapu-Lapu City via Cebu City route and 14 units for the Bulacao to Mandaue City loop route.
For Cebu City routes, 24 MPUJs are also set for deployment to serve the Lahug-Capitol-Carbon route, Banawa-Capitol-Carbon route, Inayawan-Taboan-Colon-Carlock route, Apas-Carbon via Osmeña Blvd. route and Pit-os-Talamban-Carbon via Sikatuna route, among others.
Among the transport operators that are participating in the free ride service program in Cebu and have already deployed units are the MyBus, Vallacar Transit, Inc., Ruett Car Rental, Persano, Sorraia Corp., Tolfetano Corp. and Lahug Apas Transport Coop. (Latransco).
Montealto earlier said there are two schemes implemented for the free ride service program in Cebu.
For the first scheme, only health care workers can avail themselves of the free ride, although other passengers can opt to ride and pay. Under this scheme, only drivers are given P11 as incentive per kilometer while the payment of non-health care passengers goes to the operator.
As to the second scheme, the government provides an P45 incentive per kilometer for MPUJs and P80 incentive per kilometer for buses. Thirty percent goes to the driver and 70 percent goes to the operator. (WBS)