Free train rides for students during off-peak hours starting July 1

STARTING MONDAY, July 1, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) will offer free rides to students at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2), and THE Philippine National Railway (PNR) at select hours during weekdays. The DoTr announced Thursday that students from nursery to college, including those taking technical and vocational courses, may avail of free fares by showing their student IDs at the MRT-3 from 5 to 6:30 a.m. and from 3 to 4:30 p.m.; at the LRT-2 from 4:30 to 6 a.m. and from 3 to 4:30 p.m.; and at the PNR from 5 to 6 a.m. and from 3 to 4 p.m. “Gusto namin mabawasan ‘yung gitgitan (We want to lessen the congestion) at peak hours. Alisin natin ‘yung mga bata sa gitgitan. Ang kapalit, maaga sila pumasok (Let’s leave the children out of the overcrowding. The trade-off is they have to go to school early),” Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said in a briefing in Clark, Pampanga. Aside from railways, terminal fees at sea ports operated by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and airports under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) will also be waived for students. The program will start implementation at seaports on Jul. 16, and at airports on Aug. 1. — Denise A. Valdez