The Department of Transportation (DOTr) moved to keep trains, airports, busways and other key transport facilities operating as heavy rains and flooding hit parts of Metro Manila, while deploying government vehicles to provide free rides to affected commuters.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said Wednesday he ordered transport agencies to ensure the continued and orderly operation of trains, busways, ports and airports as persistent rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, disrupted mobility across the capital region.

DOTr officials inspected the MRT-3, EDSA Busway, Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 to check operations and ensure transport services remained available despite the adverse weather.

The department also mobilized 27 government vehicles to provide free rides across 11 routes in Metro Manila from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, as flooding in some areas made travel more difficult for commuters.

The free-ride operations followed a presidential directive to ensure transportation remained available, particularly for commuters who still needed to report for work or reach their destinations despite the continuing rains.

“The President’s directive to us is to ensure that commuters who still need to report for work or reach their destinations have transportation. We expect the rains to continue, so the free rides should also continue to help commuters,” Lopez said.

The free rides, available in both directions, cover Quiapo-Fairview; Quiapo-Welcome Rotonda, with vehicles on standby along España; Divisoria-Cubao via Recto and Nagtahan; Divisoria-Monumento; Baclaran-Monumento via Taft; Kalentong-Pasig; Marikina-Cubao; Lawton-Sucat; Lawton-PITX; Pasig Palengke-Cainta Junction; and Monumento-PITX via the EDSA Busway.

The DOTr is carrying out the free-ride operations with the Office of the President, Land Transportation Office, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and Department of Energy.