00:00 an early Christmas gift for commuters from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board or LTFRB.
00:08 The regulator has revived the free ride program for those who take the EDSA carousel bus.
00:14 And with wider coverage, jeepney rides are now included.
00:19 We will return to free rides.
00:22 We will prioritize Metro Manila with jeepneys.
00:27 It's not like before, where we were limited to carousels.
00:31 We've been pursuing this since November and December.
00:35 It's like an early Christmas gift from the LTFRB.
00:40 Free commutes have been wildly popular, especially during the pandemic.
00:45 But several quarters, mostly economists, frown upon free rides as they are not really free.
00:52 They are paid by taxes.
00:54 Not a good idea when you're running a budget deficit.
00:57 This year's cost of subsidy for that alone, 1.3 billion pesos.
01:03 Former carousel bus driver Robert Pigo says free rides could hurt daily wage workers like him.
01:10 He's seen it during the pandemic.
01:12 He has had to ask in advance from his boss his take-home pay of 500 per day.
01:19 I'm afraid to return to free rides because our families will be hungry again.
01:27 More jeers from their peers, the jeepney drivers.
01:31 Those driving old jeeps will be left behind and will be competing for passengers with modernized jeeps.
01:38 It's better if we get modernized jeeps.
01:43 It's better for us. We'll be less. It's better for those who got it.
01:49 Now, if we get modernized, we'll be affected.
01:53 Because the jeepney drivers are still the same.
01:56 The passengers are less, but the jeepney drivers are still the same.
01:59 So we'll have no income.
02:01 The passengers will be gone, sir. They'll go to other places.
02:04 Because other routes here are being run by free rides.
02:08 If this is a bad thing, it should be ours.
02:13 But commuters are happy.
02:15 It's good. It's free. Thank you.
02:19 It's good. It's good.
02:21 Because I don't have a job. I just go to the S-Avenue to get my medicine.
02:27 Lois Calderon, CNN Philippines.
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