After it was deferred, the approved increase for LRT-1 and LRT-2 fare prices now has a date of implementation. With “the economy’s improving growth rate and employment figures and the country’s declining headline inflation rate”, the DOTr has announced that the price adjustment will begin on August 2, 2023.
LRT-1, LRT-2 minimum fare and add-on rate per kilometer will go up
Photo: Light Rail Manila Corporation
Although approved a while back, PBBM ordered the deferment of a price hike last month, pending a “thorough study on the economic impact”. Two months hence, the fare hike will finally push through, and it will see an additional PHP 2.29 added to the boarding fare – the minimum fare – and PHP 0.21 for every kilometer traveled. The minimum fare for both lines will now be PHP 13.29 from what was PHP 11, and the rater per kilometer traveled will now be PHP 1.21 from what was PHP 1.
Photo: Light Rail Transit Authority
On the fare increase, PBBM stated in a recorded message that “Lumalaki at sumisigla ang ating ekonomiya. Kaya’t mukhang tama ang ating ginagawa. Ipagpatuloy natin ang ginagawa natin para naman makita natin na bumalik tayo sa magandang sitwasyon ulit [Our economy is growing and improving. It seems we did the right thing. We will continue what we do so we can see that we are going back to a good situation].”
In yesterday’s press statement, Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette B. Aquino also stated “We are aiming to make our rail services more accessible, convenient, and efficient for commuters. We at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) believe that this fare adjustment will contribute to maintaining affordable mass transportation services for the two commuter-train lines.”
Photo: Light Rail Manila Corporation
During the press conference, a number of questions dealt with the likelihood of the fare hike being deferred again, to which the answer leaned toward the negative. It’s all systems go, as it seems, and those taking both LRT lines will have to deal with the higher prices in little more than a month’s time.
Do you agree that the economy has grown and improved? While a sound proposition is that the increase can further improve its services, do you believe that the price hike really will make a contribution to a better Light Rail Transit system?
While we reserve our own answer, we’ll just say that we do hope so.
