By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA July 20 (PNA) — A transport official said that the new beep card ticketing system will be implemented in other stations of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) if positive results come out from its first pilot test at the Legarda Station on Monday.
“If results are positive, it will be done daily and we will make it available in other stations one at a time,” LRT spokesperson Hernando Cabrera said on his official Twitter account.
Cabrera said that the pilot test began at 4:42 am. Here, only a limited number of beep cards were sold to passengers initially for Php 20.
The new tickets may be used to exit from any LRT-2 station, and may be reloaded at any of these locations as well. The minimum amount that the system requires to be loaded is Php 12, and the maximum is Php 10,00
During the public trial, transport officials as well as personnel from the project’s concessionaire, AF Payments Inc. (AFPI) were present at station to assist passengers who participate in the testing.
Passengers for the first time, purchased the new beep cards at designated windows and at two ticket vending machines (TVM) located inside the station.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has yet to release results of the pilot test but Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has already relayed his desire to make improvements in the new ticketing system if needed.
Meanwhile, Cabrera urged passengers who participated in the public trial to tag the DOTC on its official Twitter account, @DOTCPhilippines for feedback, complaints and other input.
The beep ticketing system, also known as the tap-and-go ticketing system is expected to shorten queuing time for the riding public at the same time, modernize the country’s system to catch up with foreign neighbors.
It is also DOTC’s first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project under the Aquino administration. (PNA)