ILOILO City – Commuters, especially medical frontliners, essential workers and authorized persons outside residence, can no longer avail themselves of free rides on modern jeepneys in Western Visayas.
The fund allotted to drivers and operators for Phase 2 of “Libre Sakay” were fully utilized already, according to Rizal Alido, president of the Iloilo City Alliance of Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative (ICAODTC).
“Asta lang kami (Oct. 23) midnight. Wala na kita budget,” said Alido.
According to Alido, 28 jeepneys under the ICAODTC with the Ungka-Jaro CPU-Iloilo City route and vice versa only participated in the “Libre Sakay” for 12 days.
For Phase 2, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) paid drivers around P3 million, though there’s still a “small” remaining balance, according to Alido.
The payment system for modernized jeepneys had been simplified. The weekly submission and approval of payroll was through LTFRB Region 6.
The cooperative also opened an account with the Land Bank of the Philippines to download the payment directly to their account.
Under Phase 2, the number of kilometers per unit was limited.
“Sa isa ka unit 16 kilometers and P52.50 per kilometer. Sang una to (Phase 1), waay, as long as nga maka-serbisyo amo gid ‘na ang counted,” said Alido.
Other modernized jeepneys that also joined “Libre Sakay” Phase 2 were the Metro Iloilo Transport Service Cooperative with the route San Miguel to Iloilo City and vice versa; the Calumpang-Iloilo Transport Service Cooperative with the route Iloilo City, Calumpang, Calaparan, Villa Beach and vice versa; and the Alliance of Provincial Operators and Drivers Transport Cooperative with the route Cabatuan to Iloilo City and vice versa, and San Joaquin to Iloilo City and vice versa.
Meanwhile, it is unclear, as of this writing, if free rides on Ceres buses under Vallacar Transit Inc. also ended.
Ceres buses started offering free rides on Sept. 16 this year.
According to Alido, LTFRB allocated P170 million for the program.
“Libre Sakay” is a Service Contracting Program implemented by the LTFRB and the Department of Transportation.
The program aims to help the transport sector reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.
It is open to drivers of modernized jeeps, traditional public utility jeepneys and passenger buses that are plying active routes.
‘BIGGER’ FUND
Should there be a Phase 3, Alido said he would appeal for a bigger fund before the DOTr and the Office of the President.
Cooperatives in Region 6 should be prioritized, according to Alido.
He claimed that during Phase 2, “only more or less P15 million” were allotted to the cooperatives while the rest to the “Libre Sakay” buses.
“Indi insakto ang pagtug-an sang budget. Nagakadto man lang sa dalagku nga corporation antes ibulig sa public utility (vehicles). Kami ‘ya nagabaka-baka para lang mag-upod sa modernization program,” Alido stressed./PN
