LRT, MRT fares up on March 1

MANILA, Philippines – The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) board approved yesterday a hefty fare increase for the EDSA-bound Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Railway Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2, pegging the maximum fare at all three rail lines at P30 to take effect on March 1.

The MRT, which runs from North Avenue to Pasay Taft, currently has a maximum fare of P15.

LRT Line 1 currently has a maximum fare of P20, from its south end station in Baclaran, Parañaque City to its north end station in Roosevelt Ave., Quezon City.

LRT Line 2, on the other hand, has a maximum fare of P15, from its east-end station in Santolan, Pasig City to its west-end station in C.M. Recto Avenue in Manila.

The LRTA board, chaired by Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus, approved the fare hike for the MRT, and LRT Lines 1 and 2.

Dante Velasco, DOTC Undersecretary for Public Information and Management Information Systems, said that while the hefty fare hike was approved, passengers of the rail lines could still avail of “lower” fares by using “stored value” tickets wherein a minimum fare or a “boarding fee” of P11 was set.

Beyond the minimum boarding fee, a P1 fee per kilometer was set by the LRTA board, which would place the fee per station, at around P3.

“The maximum fare would be lower for those using the stored value tickets which costs P100,” Velasco said.

Lawyer Hernando Cabrera, LRTA corporate secretary and spokesman, said an example of the new fare hike for a single journey ticket from Roosevelt Ave. in Quezon City to Blumentritt that currently costs P15 would increase to P20; and Roosevelt to Libertad in Pasay City from the current P15 to P30.

He said the single journey ticket from Roosevelt Ave. to Baclaran would increase from the current P20 to P30.

Cabrera said the increase was considered “provisional” since there would be public consultations conducted by the LRTA and the DOTC, on the approved fare hikes.

“These are only provisional fare hikes since there would be public consultations to be conducted by the DOTC and the result of the consultations may still affect the rates to be implemented on March 1,” Cabrera said.

Malacañang assured the public that the increase in prices and fares would be manageable even if this would happen almost simultaneously.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda also said the wage hike among government employees would have to be in accordance with the Salary Standardization Law.

Lacierda said studies on the proposed fare increase by various transport groups are underway but he said the looming rate adjustments would be reasonable and acceptable to the commuting public.

Lacierda said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) was carefully studying the petition before coming up with a decision on the calls of jeepney and bus operators to increase fares.

“The LTFRB is still looking at the data whether the increase is justified or not,” he said.

Lacierda said Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and LTFRB Chairman Nelson Laluces had been conducting weekly meetings with the transport groups as part of the government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the rate increase.

“Dialogue with the stakeholders, with the transport groups has been going on not only with the LTFRB but also with the DOE,” Lacierda said.

Last week, operators and drivers of Metro Manila jeepneys and provincial buses expressed concern for an increase in minimum fares citing the recent hike in petroleum prices and the implementation of new toll rates at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), and Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEX) which took effect Jan. 1.

Lacierda said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas had studied the impending increase in fares and that it would not impact much on inflation rate.

“All these things have been inputted into the inflation rate which is manageable… and hopefully we’d be able to mitigate the impact on the consumers,” Lacierda said.

Despite the impending increases in fares and prices, Lacierda said the administration could not commit to the P6,000 wage increase being sought by government employees.

“There is a Salary Standardization Law which mandates the increase. There is a Joint Resolution No. 4 and it will take effect on the first of July this year. Any increase in the wage hike of government is part of the application of the Salary Standardization,” Lacierda said.

LTFRB not keen on fare hike

LTFRB Chairman Laluces expressed apprehension yesterday over the demand of jeepney drivers and operators for an increase in fare because the proposal is ill timed.

Laluces, however, vowed to set a meeting between LTFRB officials and the leaders of the transport group Pasang Masda to tackle their concerns.

He said he would ask the group to defer its motion to revert to a minimum fare of P7.50 for the first four kilometers from the current P7.

“The timing is not very good,” said Laluces as he cited the recent fare increases in the Light Railway Transit and Metro Rail Transit, taxicabs, provincial buses, and expressway toll rates.

“We would request them to defer the move. The role of the LTFRB is to balance the interest of the operators and drivers and the passengers,” he noted.

Laluces said he has not scheduled the meeting but it was possible that Pasang Masda could seek an audience with him this week.

Pasang Masda president Roberto Martin earlier said the drivers and operators would discuss plans for staging a strike if Laluces ignored their appeal.

The group claimed that they have 31,000 members in Metro Manila and 120,000 members nationwide.

The group’s appeal is premised on an agreement with Laluces last December that the LTFRB supposedly would approve the increase in minimum fare to P7.50 if the price of diesel goes up to at least P35 per liter.

Martin said the current the average price of diesel in the country is P38.75 per liter.

Jeepney drivers and operators voluntarily lowered the minimum fare from P7.50 to P7 when the price of diesel went down to P25 per liter back in 2008. –Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star) with Aurea Calica, Reinir Padua