PEOPLE traveling back to their hometowns in Cebu Province to celebrate Holy Week may avail themselves of free rides offered by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB 7) starting Tuesday, April 12, 2022.Eduardo Montealto Jr., LTFRB 7 director, said a total of 552 buses and public utility jeepneys (PUJs) have been contracted by the agency to offer free rides that will last until June this year.The free rides is made possible through the Department of Transportation’s “Libreng Sakay” program.These buses are available at the Cebu South and North Bus Terminals in Cebu City while inter-municipality PUJs are situated in various areas in southern and northern Cebu.Montealto said travelers can easily distinguish these buses and PUJs through the tarpaulin marked “free rides” hanged in their front bumpers.Montealto said the subsidies to be received by transport operators joining the program would depend on their travel distances.Operators of provincial buses that travel within a route of least 100 kilometers can receive P84 per kilometer, while those who run inter-municipality PUJs that travel within a route of at least 35 kilometers can get P54 per kilometer.Montealto said the subsidy for this year’s Libreng Sakay program is higher by P1.50 compared to last year’s due to sudden increase of fuel prices attributed to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.Public utility vehicles (PUVs) contracted by the LTFRB 7 under the Net Contracting Program can still collect the regular fare rates from their passengers aside from receiving a P27 subsidy, according to Montealto.PUVs under the Gross Contracting Program that offers free rides can not collect fares.Montealto has also warned PUV drivers against overloading during the influx of passengers this Holy Week, which is observed from April 10 to 17. / PAC / TPT