LTFRB’s ‘Libreng Sakay Para sa APOR’ reels off

By Jason B. Neola

The Service Contracting Program of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), now on its second phase, is expected to serve more medical frontliners and authorized persons outside residences (APOR).

The free ride program, which was initially rolled out in Metro Manila and has since expanded nationwide, is in line with the directive of the agency’s central office to help essential workers in their commuting needs and somehow ease their financial burden amid the pandemic.

Popularly called “Libreng Sakay Para sa APOR,” the program kicked off on Monday, Sept. 20, in Bicol region. Under the program, partnering public transportation drivers will be paid for the services they render based on the plan prepared by the government agency and agreed upon by operators.

Aside from paying the drivers every week with an agreed amount per kilometer of travel during a specified period, they will also be provided with P5,000 boarding incentive being program beneficiaries.

Perrie Deovani Solano, LTFRB project evaluation officer, said the “libreng sakay” was appropriated with P3.3 billion in the General Appropriations Act of 2021.

He said they cannot determine yet how much money the government agency will spend on the program in the province since the registration of transport cooperatives is going on. At present, the LTFRB Bicol regional office was able to register 17 cooperatives with jitneys plying the Naga route to different parts of Camarines Sur.

The drivers of the public transport offering libreng sakay require passengers to present first their respective company identification cards before boarding their vehicles.

LIBRENG SAKAY A Naga-bound public utility vehicle from the town of Gainza transporting passengers under the LTFRB’s Service Contracting Program. CEPPIO/REYBAYLON