An additional bus stop at the EDSA Busway for the EDSA bus carousel service has been opened in Tramo in Pasay City on Wednesday.
The new bus stop in Tramo is among the four new bus stops planned for the EDSA carousel, according to a report by Bam Alegre on Unang Balita.Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the EDSA carousel services some 320,000 to 390,000 passengers daily.
In 2023, more bus stops will be set up between North and Quezon Avenues as well as Ormoc Road in Quezon City, and Magallanes in Makati City. The fare for the end-to-end trip from Monumento to Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange is around P70 to P76. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities are entitled to discounts.However, in November, Senate finance panel chair Senator Sonny Angara said the Libreng Sakay could be extended to next year as thein the proposed 2023 budget. The government allotted P1.2 billion for the Libreng Sakay under the General Appropriations Act of 2023.
The Libreng Sakay program was launched in late 2020 under Republic Act No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act to help commuters and those in the public transport sector affected by the pandemic. Under the service contracting program, PUV operators and drivers who participated in the government’s free ridership program will receive a one-time payout and weekly payments based on the number of kilometers traveled per week, whether they have passengers or not.