The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said Friday it will discontinue the “Libreng Sakay” program for the EDSA bus carousel and instead will provide discounted fares for passengers in February.

In a press conference, LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said the P1.2 billion budget allocated by the government was not enough for them to continue the free bus ride program.

“We admit that if we have to make the rides totally free, we cannot afford it…However, what this administration wants is, to be able to include all modes of transportation and spend within the budget provided by the government, they will just provide discounted fares,” Guadiz told reporters. Jaspearl Tan/DMS