The Department of Transportation (DOTr) expressed plans to mobilize a multi-agency fleet of public transportation vehicles while fast-tracking the disbursement of subsidies to cushion the transport sector amid rising fuel prices.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency is closely coordinating with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to pinpoint the specific routes that will be affected by the MANIBELA-led protest scheduled for 26 and 27 March.

On Wednesday, DOTr dispatched buses to Quezon Memorial Circle and PHILCOA early Wednesday to assist stranded commuters after numerous jeepney drivers temporarily abandoned their routes to claim cash aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

To cater to the volume of commuters, Lopez said that the department is staging assets with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to ensure uninterrupted public mobility.

“We are deploying government vehicles. We will make sure we can deploy enough buses to cater to our commuters,” Lopez said in an interview with dZBB.

The transport chief outlined a financial relief strategy that includes a 50% fare discount for MRT-3 and LRT-2 rail passengers, alongside toll discounts for public utility vehicles and delivery trucks carrying essential goods.

Moreover, to appease transport workers and prevent future unrest, the DOTr is eyeing the implementation of a free-ride service contracting program slated to launch after Holy Week.

report from Theo Cabantac for DT