The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) launched its Libreng Sakay Program on Friday morning.

MMDA acting chairman Engr. Carlo Dimayuga said 7 MMDA buses and 2 army trucks were allocated for the program along Doña Carmen in Commonwealth Avenue going to Quezon Avenue-Welcome Rotonda and vice versa.

The program will run from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

Dimayuga said the Libreng Sakay would help solve the problem of traffic congestion along Commonwealth Avenue during rush hour.

It will also help commuters, especially students, get bus rides more easily, he said.

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“Ang peak dito is around 5:30 kaya tayo nagdagdag tayo ng 2 bagong bus, tuloy-tuloy po 'yan and wala pa tayong plano na itigil,” Dimayuga said.

(Traffic peaks at around 5:30 so we added 2 more buses, this program will run continuously and we won't stop.)

The official said the Libreng Sakay Program would serve around 500 to 600 passengers daily.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said she was thankful for the MMDA initiative, which would augment the local government's separate program for free rides.

Quezon City's Libreng Sakay Program has 109 buses plying 8 different routes to help commuters.

“Tuloy-tuloy po yan, wala pong deadline yan hanggang sa matapos ang termino natin," Belmonte said.

(This has no deadline, this program will continue until the end of my term.)

"Hopefully ang mga susunod pang alkalde, ampunin nila ang programang 'yan. Malaking tulong 'yan sa mga tao, kapag tayo nag-i-interview ng mga mananakay ng ating modern bus, they were able to save up to P3000 a month,” she added.

(Hopefully the next mayor will pick this up. This is of great help to the public; when we speak with commuters, they say they were able to save P3000 a month.)

Some commuters were grateful for the Libreng Sakay program.

Aries Serbanda, who has to commute daily for work, said the program would help him get to work on time and also cut down his travel expenses.

“Malaking tulong po ito para makatipid sa pamasahe and hindi masyadong maabala,” he said.

(This helps me save my travel money and it is convenient.)

Others said they hoped the program would continue, especially with the resumption of face-to-face classes.

— TeleRadyo, 26 August 2022

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