FREE RIDE. Commuters in Quezon City avail of the city government's QCity Bus program that offers free rides in this undated photo. The city government on Friday (March 17, 2022) bared that the program has already serviced around 5.3 million passengers since its launch in December 2020. (Photo grabbed from QC government Facebook page) MANILA - The Quezon City government's bus augmentation program or the QCity Bus has so far offered free rides to more than 5 million commuters around major routes within the city. In a statement issued on Friday, the city government said the QC bus augmentation program has already served more than 5.3 million passengers since it was launched on December 7, 2020. Mayor Joy Belmonte said the program was introduced to address the need for a reliable, efficient, and safe means of transportation amid the community restrictions brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic that also limited public transportation in Metro Manila. With the recent spike in the prices of petroleum products and the transportation sector's call for a fare hike, Belmonte urged its residents to avail of the program. "Sobrang mahal na ng gasolina at kasunod na rin niyan ang pagmahal ng mga bilihin. Kailangan nating magtipid kaya malaking bagay na yung malilibre mo sa pamasahe, maipambili mo na ng bigas (The price of gasoline now is so expensive, and next will be the increase in the prices of basic commodities. We need to save up and the amount that can be saved from transportation expenses may be used to buy rice)," Belmonte said. A number of netizens have already expressed gratitude for the program, saying that they have already availed of the free ride. "Thank you po. Nakasakay ako multiple times. Malaking tulong kapag walang mga bus (I have already taken this ride multiple times. This is a big help especially when buses are not available) during lockdowns," Brian James Ignacio said in his post. Other QC residents who have availed of the free bus program shared how the program helped them save on their transportation expenses. In her post, Charisma Barsaga Valenzuela said "nakasakay kami diyan hanggang (we have taken that ride going to the) circle. Thank you," while Dang H. Manalocon said, "Lagi po kami nakakasakay jan. Maraming salamat po (We always ride that bus. Thank you so much)." Netizen George De Mesa said, "Simpleng project pero damang dama ang tulong sa pangkaraniwang tao. Salamat po (It's a simple project that is felt by the ordinary people. Thank you)." Recently, the QC government has entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to help provide additional transportation to commuters. Under the agreement, the LTFRB will issue a certification to the city allowing its QCity Bus to operate on eight initial routes. Belmonte said that the agreement is expected to help address the lack of enough public transportation, and will help bring commuters to their destinations faster and safer. "Iwas-hawa na, may free wifi pa. Kaya naman mula nang ilunsad natin ang QCity bus, marami talagang sumasakay at nakita nila mismo na malaking tulong ito sa kanilang pagpasok sa trabaho o kahit sa personal man na lakad (They can avoid contracting the virus, and they even get free wifi. That is why since we launched the QCity Bus, many have already availed and found it beneficial in going to work or even for their personal travel)," she added. City Administrator Michael Alimurung said that the program remains open to the public. He also explained that the program will not contribute to traffic congestion as these buses only stop at designated pick-up and drop-off points. "We also expect the program to reduce the number of private cars as motorists might opt to take our bus en route to their destination," Alimurung said. The QCity Bus plies eight routes from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. These are the following routes: Route 1: Quezon City Hall To Cubao; Route 2: Quezon City Hall To LITEX; Route 3: Welcome Rotonda To Aurora Blvd./Katipunan; Route 4: Quezon City Hall To Gen. Luis; Route 5: Quezon City Hall To Mindanao Ave. Via Visayas Ave.; Route 6: Quezon City Hall To Gilmore; Route 7: Quezon City Hall To Ortigas Avenue Extension; and Route 8: Quezon City Hall To Munoz. The city government said that pick-up and drop-off points are posted on its official Facebook page and its official website. (PNA) }