More modern jeeps, buses offer free ride to essential workers in Metro Cebu 

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and LTFRB chairperson Martin Delgra III inspect one of the 22 units of MyBus which will be offering free rides to APORs and healthcare workers starting Thursday, May 6, 2021. CDN Digital photo | Morexette Marie Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines—More public utility vehicles (PUVs) in Metro Cebu are offering free rides to essential workers. 

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), with Secretary Arthur Tugade, on Thursday, May 6, 2021, led the ceremonial launching of at least 22 MyBus units that will be providing free transportation to Authorized Persons Outside of Residence (APORs) and healthcare workers. 

Tugade, together with Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Martin Delgra III, also inspected the buses which will have routes covering Naga City in the south and Mandaue City in the north. 

Read: Tugade to inspect Cebu bike lanes, BRT progress

APORs and medical workers can avail of the free rides from MyBus starting Thursday and up to June, said LTFRB-Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) director Eduardo Montealto Jr. 

Montealto said a total of 92 modern jeeps and buses in Metro Cebu have already availed of the DOTr-LTFRB Contract-Servicing Program, which aims to help public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators by providing them government subsidy. 

In exchange for the incentives, they must offer free rides to essential workers. 

“We started the program last May 5 (and)  we’re expecting more (PUVs offering free rides) to be deployed in the coming days as we’re still entertaining a lot of applications,” added Montealto in Cebuano. 

Oliver Pulanco, general manager of MyBus, told reporters in an interview that APORs and healthcare workers will only have to present their company I.D. so they can avail of their free service. 

“We’re encouraging our APORs and health workers to present their ID before boarding the bus,” said Pulanco. 

Pulanco also said five buses will be servicing healthcare workers from Naga City to University of Cebu (UC Med) in Mandaue City, and 17 more buses for APORs with routes from Talisay City to Parkmall (via South Road Properties and N. Bacalso Avenue). 

/bmjo