It's about time
Ticket-related problems are not new on the MRT/LRT trains. Tickets that don't work where you have to go back to the ticket counter and have them changed. The tickets are of the magnetic stripe variant, which is essentially being phased out due to more modern and reliable systems. This is what the LRT-2 train line hopes to implement by May of this year. The LRT-2 line was chosen for testing and evaluation due to less people using the train. This may also explain why among the three train lines in the Metro, the LRT-2 breaks down the least. Ticket vending machines and turnstiles have already been installed at the various stations, ready for use. If any problems arise, the company handling the system can provide the appropriate solutions.
The system is similar to the Octopus card of Hong Kong, where users simply touch the card on readers. I've seen people simply placing their wallets or bags near the readers and they're good to go. If all goes well, the same system will also be installed at the LRT-1 and MRT lines, making tickets universal. Of course, trains that actually run would be nice. With the new system, larger amounts of money may be stored to avoid going back for reloads every now and then. In fact, it would be nice if the same card can be used for public buses, convenience stores and even parking areas like the Octopus card. A cashless society may not be far behind.
I really think it is time we embraced the newer technologies available, if the country wants to boost its image altogether. It is good that the NAIA terminal 1 is undergoing a major facelift. We have had the electronic card readers on our tollways. We have countdown counters at several major intersections. All of these I have already seen in other countries years ago. It really is a wonder why we never availed of such technology earlier. If the way the country has been run by past administrations has anything to do with it, then we have our answer.
What I would like to see, or experience is a much faster internet than what we currently have, and for more areas covered by it. If digital TV is already available, I don't see why the internet cannot be juiced up several notches. I'm sure businesses would want this, even foreign investors who have complained of the agonizingly slow internet. If the country is to become at par with its regional neighbors, then technology is the way to go. For as long as we do not backslide into the all too familiar attitude of maintaining all of these while new, then forgetting about them. A ride on the LRT-1 or MRT shows just how much we take care of our utilities.
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