By Marna Dagumboy Del Rosario/Philippine News Agency
CLARK, Pampanga — Students will get free rides in various modes of railway transportation in the country starting on July 1.
This was announced by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies during the fourth “Transport Talks” held on Thursday at the DOTr conference room here.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said students from all levels will enjoy free rides from Metro Rail Transit -3 (MRT-3), Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2) and Philippine National Railways from Mondays to Fridays, except holidays at select hours in the morning and afternoon.
Likewise, Tugade said that terminal fee in airports and seaports owned and managed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) are also waived for students.
He said the move is part of the department’s continuing show of concern to commuters and President Rodrigo Duterte’s desire to give comfortable lives to the Filipinos.
“Layon nitong hikayatin ang pagpasok ng maaga ng mga estudyante at baguhin ang commuter culture bilang parte ng mandato ng administrasyon sa maginhawang buhay para sa mga pasahero (It aims to encourage the students to go to school early and change the commuter culture as part of the mandate of the administration to provide comfortable lives to the passengers),” Tugade said.
The LRT-2 will implement the free rides for students from 4:30 to 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The MRT-3, on the other hand, will offer free fares for students from 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, students can avail of free rides from the PNR from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Covered are students in elementary, high school and college levels and those taking up vocational and technical courses.
However, students taking up masteral degree courses are not covered by such privilege.
Tugade said initially, students are required to present their school identification card to avail of free rides until such time that they are issued free ride IDs.
For the latest updates about this story, visit the Philippine News Agency website
