At least 25,000 students are expected to avail of the free ride program in the Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT-2) when the 2022-2023 school year opens on August 22, its administrator said Sunday.

In an interview with dzBB, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Hernando Cabrera said they are preparing for the incoming flow of students by deploying more staff and doing daily inspections of train station facilities.

“The usual number of students is around 25,000 to 30,000, so we expect that’s how much will be added (to our ridership)...We are going to get employees from our office and we deploy them to the line to help regulate the flow of students,” Cabrera said.

“We are also focusing on our comfort rooms, elevators, and escalators. We are monitoring them daily to make sure they are working properly,” he added.

Cabrera said students can get free train rides from August 22 to November 5, from Monday to Saturday.

“Our (free ride) program is from Monday to Saturday. So Sundays and holidays are not counted because there are no classes on those days. You have to pay on Sundays and holidays,” he said over dzBB.

The free ride program will only cover students from preschool to college and will exclude graduate school students like those who are taking up their master's degrees, Cabrera said.

Caretakers or “yayas” accompanying preschool students are also excluded from the program.

Starting November 6, the LRTA will go back to providing students with a 20 percent discounted fare, Cabrera said.

Under Republic Acts 11314 and 10754, students, persons with disabilities (PWD), and senior citizens are granted a 20 percent discount on all public utility vehicles. Jaspearl Tan/DMS