MANILA, (PNA) — The scheduled fare hike for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transits (LRT) will depend largely on the public consultations which the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) has yet to schedule.
DoTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said they are still uncertain if the planned fare increase will push through within the year or next year since the consultations with the stakeholders have yet to happen.
“Yung consultation, most likely, will happen this year. So, as to the fare hike we will wait for the consultation,” Abaya said.
He said the department has not yet specified the dates in which the public consultations will be done due to the different schedules of the stakeholders who will play a very important role in the talks before the fare hike will be imposed.
The stakeholders include the riding public.
Abaya hinted that the fare increase will most likely be P5. If that pushes through, the end to end trip in the MRT will now cost P20.
The present fare a passenger pays from MRT North Edsa in Quezon City to Taft avenue in Pasay City and vice versa is P15.
“Yung tinitingnan namin fare increase on the average, for a passenger is P5,” he said.
Abaya explained that Budget and Management Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad may have been misquoted when news reports said he (Abad) recommended for a P25 increase which will make the MRT fare to P40 for an end to end trip (North Edsa to Taft avenue or vice versa).
“Yung P25 talaga ang pagkaka-iba ng fare ng MRT. Kung sasakay ka ng MRT sa Trinoma (North Edsa) at bumaba ka sa Taft, P15 yun. Ang presyo ng bus pag sumakay ka ng Trinoma hanggang Taft ay P40. So, the difference is P25,” he explained.