By Allysa Nievera and Noreen Jazul

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will give free rides to students on selected hours from Monday to Friday.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade announced Thursday, that students can ride the following railways for free under its Student Free Ride Program:

Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT 2): 4:30 am to 6:00 am; 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Philippine National Railways (PNR): 5:00 am to 6:00 am; 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3): 5:00 am to 6:30 am; 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

The Student Free Ride Program covers students from the Pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Those enrolled in trade, arts, technical, vocational schools and training centers are also entitled to free train rides.

Graduate school students, meanwhile, are not part of the program’s beneficiaries.

DOTr will put up application centers in major stations of LRT-2, PNR, and MRT-3, where students can apply for a student ID/pass.

Application for the non-transferrable ID/pass can only be done in the beginning of the school year, semester and/or term, and shall only be valid for one school year, term, and/ or semester.

Meanwhile, students will also be exempted from paying terminal fees on airports regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and port owned by the Philippine Ports Authority.

The transportation department, however, clarified that schools with short-term courses of the seminar-type like dancing, and driving schools are excluded from the program.

DOTr also waived terminal fees in PPA-owned seaports for senior citizens, Persons with Disabilities, active uniformed personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard.

To be exempted from paying terminal feels, students must present a valid School ID or an enrollment registration card bearing their pictures. (With a report from MB Lifestyle)