THE Service Contracting program of the government will be implemented next as additional assistance to the transportation sector and passengers.
According to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Executive Director Kristina Cassion, the program is next for implementation after the distribution of the fuel subsidy.
She said the service contracting program is part of their basket of solutions to mitigate the effects of the spate of price increases of petroleum products.
The program’s coverage, Cassion said, will be expanded to include to drivers of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and UV Express. They and other modes of transportation were not part of the first phase due to limited funds.
But now, funding for the program was increased to P7 billion from the previous P3 billion, she explained.
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said the the service contracting program will be a big help to operators and drivers since they do not have to operate on commission basis because their daily trips will be paid.
This will also be less hassle to commuters because they can ride on specific times and they don’t have to pay for passenger fare.
In Tugade’s report to the president, he said that for the first phase of the service contracting program last year, 75 million passengers benefited or registered ridership for the program.