DOTC picks Banner Plasticard for supply of MRT3 magnetic cards

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has awarded a contract for the supply of new magnetic cards for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3).

In a notice of award, the DOTC Bids and Awards Committee gave Banner Plasticard Inc. the P25-million contract to supply MRT-3 with 4.24 million magnetic cards.

Last year, the DOTC also awarded to Banner Plasticard a contract for the supply and delivery of 1.502 million pieces of magnetic tickets for MRT3.

The awarding came after the DOTC announced that the deadline for the submission of bids for the P1.72-billion Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) for the MRT and Light Rail Transit (LRT) last Aug. 30 was deferred by 30 days.

The MRT-LRT single ticket or AFCS is envisioned to be like Hong Kong’s Octopus Card, which serves as a debit card, aside from being a stored-value train ticket. The single ticket could also be used for other modes of transportation such as buses, paying toll, electronic banking, and even shopping.

The AFCS project would bring important benefits to the more than one million daily passengers using the light rail lines, ensuring seamless interconnection for travelers and removing the current inconvenience of the need to buy separate tickets for separate lines.

It would allow the operating authorities to develop a service offering that better suit the needs of the passengers through a system similar to Hong Kong, London, the Netherlands, and other countries.

It would replace the current magnetic based ticketing system that is very much at the end of its usability and could also serve as an electronic micropayment solution in convenience stores, or as identifier for loyalty schemes, facility access and location based services as well as other transport modes including buses and taxi cabs.