The third phase of the service contracting program (SCP) that has been giving free rides in Eastern Visayas since mid-April will end on June 25, the Land Transport and Franchising Regulator Board (LTFRB) said on Tuesday.

The program will not likely be extended this year after it was carried out in 66 routes with 885 units of transport service vehicles, said Veronica Reposar, LTFRB Eastern Visayas regional transportation development office chief.

“The program will completely end on June 25 in the region since the funds allotted are almost exhausted. In fact, on Saturday, the service contracting program will expire for several units,” Reposar told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a phone interview.

The LTFRB main office has allocated PHP235 million for the implementation of the third phase of SCP in the region which started on April 19.

The SCP ensures the income of drivers and operators and helps commuters save from their transportation expenses this pandemic, according to Reposar.

As of May 31, the program’s third rollout has already benefitted 2,555,109 passengers in Eastern Visayas.

Under the LTFRB’s service contracting program, public utility vehicle operators and drivers participating in the government’s free ridership program will receive a one-time payout and weekly payments based on the number of kilometers traveled per week, whether they have passengers or not.

Each public utility vehicle is monitored by a private firm through the global positioning system or GPS.

The service contracting program phase III was launched under the General Appropriations Act 2022, which has a total fund of PHP7 billion allotted for around 13,000 to 15,000 vehicles with about 1,000 routes nationwide. (PNA)