Commuting has always been the regular working stiff’s daily torment. From long lines to horrible traffic and—lately—transport strikes, getting to and from work in the city has always been a stressful and exhausting experience for many people.

Good thing the cities of Santa Rosa and Pasay will receive a fleet of five brand-new and air-conditioned Toyota Liteace units each, courtesy of Toyota Motor Philippines.

Dubbed the Toyota Community Shuttle (TCS), these units will be part of a free, on-demand shared transportation service that commuters can use via a digital interface.

With the TCS, commuters can get free rides for a whole year beginning December 1 for Santa Rosa City, and December 2 for Pasay City.

“TMP is offering the TCS as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility and in commemoration of TMP’s 35th anniversary,” TMP president Atsuhiro Okamoto said. “Through TCS, TMP aims to contribute to improving the quality of life in these communities by providing free, easier, smarter, and safer mobility.”

Booking a seat in the TCS will be done through the myToyota Shuttle application, which is a flagship project of Toyota Mobility Solutions Philippines (TMSPH).

A downloadable mobile app, myToyota Shuttle provides for efficient, on-demand shuttle management with optimized route planning and seat booking. Users can book their rides using a mobile phone, monitor the real-time location, and check the arrival time of the TCS unit.

“We want to create positive social value in our beneficiary communities through the provision of free mobility,” Okamoto added. “But the TCS is not only helpful in creating a hassle-free ride experience for commuters. It also complements the current efforts of our project beneficiaries toward becoming a smart city and sustainable eco-city through increased connectivity and mobility, among others.”

If you’re wondering why Santa Rosa and Pasay cities were chosen as the beneficiaries, this is because the former has been identified as a next-wave city with strong initiatives to evolve into a high-level smart city.

Pasay City, on the other hand, is known as the travel city, and is leading initiatives to transform into a sustainable eco city. Both cities are using innovation and technology to benefit their respective communities, aligning with TMP’s vision of providing better mobility for people.

With a relatively small fleet of shuttles for this novel program, it will be interesting to see how well it will be received by the commuting public. If successful and warranting much larger participation, it could herald the start of a new and better way of commuting for the riding public.

For Apple users, download the app here.

For Android users, download the app here.