THE management of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) yesterday refiled a petition to increase fares by P3 to P6 before the Department of Transportation’s Rail Regulatory Unit (RRU).
The DOTr said MRT-3 filed a petition to increase fares by 2.29 with an additional P0.21 for every kilometer, similar to the increase approved for the Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1) and LRT-2.
In a statement, DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said that MRT-3’s previous fare hike petition was deferred due to “infirmities in complying with the requirements and procedure.”
Like the LRT-1 and LRT-2, no fare adjustment has been approved for the MRT-3 for the last eight years, Chavez said.
If approved, the current fares at MRT-3, from a minimum of P13 and a maximum of P28, will increase to P16 and P34 for end-to-end stations, respectively.
The fares at LRT-1 and LRT-2 are set to increase starting August 2, 2023 after Malacanang approved a fare adjustment which consists of an additional P2.29 boarding fare and P0.21 distance fare per kilometer, from the existing P11 boarding fare and P1 distance fare.
As a result, LRT-1 and LRT-2’s minimum boarding fees will increase to P13.29 from P11 and P1.21 per kilometer for every kilometer traveled from the original P1 per km.
Chavez said the train fare adjustment would mean more trains running and passengers being served better.
Chavez said the LRT-1 and LRT-2 deserve a modest fare increase after petitions were denied for the past eight years.
Chavez said the actual rates for end-to-end travel at the LRT-2 from Antipolo to Recto costs P178 per passenger but only P30 is being charged.
He said this means P148 is being provided as a subsidy by the government for each passenger.
Chavez said the same can be said of the actual cost of end-to-end train rides at the LRT-1, adding that LRT-1’s operator, Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), has been asking for a fare increase since 2016.
Chavez said the approval “is not only necessary, beneficial and practical for both the LRT operators and commuters, but also for the country as well.”
With the fare adjustment, the LRTA is eyeing to allocate about P110 million, which accounts for 97 percent of the projected P114 million additional rail revenues, for maintenance, operating expenses, and the much-needed repair and upkeep of crucial rail systems and facilities.
