DOTr: No fare increase in LRT-1, LRT-2, MRT-3 after Beep card price hike
MANILA, Philippines — There will no increase in the fares for Metro Manila’s main train systems, the Department of Transportation said Friday following the price hike of stored value cards or Beep cards.
The Light Rail Transit Authority said Thursday the cash issuance fee for Beep card will increase to P30 from P20 starting January 1.
“There is NO INCREASE in actual fare of LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3,” DOTr said in a statement.
The agency added: “The increase that was reflected is the charge in the ISSUANCE FEE of the Beep stored value card.”
Beep cards was introduced in 2015, replacing magnetic tickets.
The stored value cards can be used in the MRT, LRT-1 and LRT-2 train systems and select bus systems.
Concession agreement review
The card issuance fee increase is in compliance with the concession agreement signed by then Department of Transportation and Communications and AF Payments Inc. in March 2014.
AF Payments Inc. is the concessionaire jointly owned by the Ayala Group and Metro Pacific Investments.
A provision of the agreement states: “Any stored value card distributed by the concessionaire until 31 December 2019 shall be charged an issuance fee of not more than P20; and any stored value card distributed by the concessionaire after 31 December 2019 shall be charged an issuance fee of not more than P30.”
DOTr said it is reviewing the concession agreement “with the end view of determining how best to protect public interest.”
“A report will be provided to the public soonest on our evaluation and review,” it added. — Gaea Katreena Cabico
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