MMDA: ‘Libreng sakay’ to continue as afternoon, evening rush hours approach

As many commuters found it challenging to reach office and school on Monday morning due to the transport holiday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday assured the public that free rides and assistance will continue, especially during the afternoon and evening rush hours.

"Ang na-monitor namin kanina, 'yung usual Monday rush hour traffic at 'yung sa dami po ng pasahero, since wala pong pasok karamihan sa ating eskwelahan sa Kamaynilaan, puro mga pupunta sa kani-kanilang trabaho ang minonitor natin," MMDA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Mike Salalima said in an interview in GMA News TV's Balitanghali.

"Pinipilit ho natin na walang maging aberya lalo na during the rush hour pero what we can assure our people is that all your government agencies and local government units are in coordination at magpapalabas pa ho ng aming pwersa mamayang hapon," he added.

He said that authorities held a meeting as early as before lunch to ensure that commuters will be assisted on their way home as they leave office and school.

Salalima added that MMDA also requested the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to deploy additional buses other than the over 200 that it has deployed earlier in various areas affected by the transport strike against some provisions of the public utility vehicle modernization program.

On Monday morning, stranded passengers along Commonwealth Avenue endured waiting for hours and riding congested buses and jeepneys just to get to their destinations.

Their agony was doubled as light rain started to pour, according to Marisol Abdurahman's report in GMA News TV's Balitanghali.

Meanwhile, some passengers in Monumento Circle in Caloocan decided to adjust their travel time to before sunrise to avoid getting stranded.

"Nagmadali lang akong pumasok kasi baka abutan ako na mawala na byahe, baka mahirapan ako pumasok," said one of them.

In a separate report by Isa Avendaño-Umali, some policemen in Manila City volunteered to provide "Libreng Angkas" to some distressed commuters on Monday morning. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News