Makati presses offer for free bus rides to MRT commuters

Celebrity Philippines: "The Makati City government is not giving up on its free shuttle services so easily.
In a letter sent to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay renewed his call for the LTFRB to allow the city’s free bus shuttle services for MRT commuters on  “compassionate grounds.”
Binay reassured LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez that the city government shared the agency’s concern for the welfare of the riding public.
“When Makati decided to offer free shuttle services, our intention was to help ease the suffering of our riders, to show them that government is sensitive to their needs and will go the extra mile to serve them,” Binay stated.
The mayor cited the long lines and frequent mechanical breakdowns at MRT that have greatly inconvenienced commuters as “an emergency situation that requires government intervention.”"

In Philippines, #freetransit leads to more transit

philstar.com: "Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay has also committed to purchase four more new buses to augment the six city-owned vehicles being used for the free transport program, which has been well-received by the riding public.

“Our present fleet of vehicles could only accommodate up to 250 passengers per trip, and the overwhelming response of the public to our program in its initial run has prompted our decision to add more buses, so that more citizens would benefit,” Binay said."