P5 LRT fare increase seen
The P5 increase in LRT fare would help the LRTA to acquire new equipment and improve its facilities. Photo by EFIGENIO CHRISTOPHER TOLEDO IV
By Encar Marie IlaoThe Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) will soon implement a P5 fare increase.
LRT-MRT spokesperson Hernando Cabrera said that the train systems really need to upgrade through their rehabilitation projects and the budget will not just come from the fare paid by the people but from the loans as well.
He also said that the fare increase is reasonable because it will be for train commuters’ benefit.
“Iyong expenses for the spare parts and maintenance activities plus the operational expenses like security, power at sweldo ng mga personnel ay kakainin lahat ng income na binabayad ng pasahero,” Cabrera said in an interview. “It’s not enough to call for all the expenses. That’s where the subsidy comes in.”
He added that the government is not passing their responsibility [subsidizing] to the public because the added fare will be allocated to the services for the commuters.
A regular train passenger pays a minimum fare of P10 in a single journey and the government subsidizes an additional P40 to P60 because of the included loans that were used to build the train systems.
Repair and purchase
He said that there are enough trains in Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2 to accommodate a large number of passengers so they will just repair and upgrade these trains.
He also showed one of the rehabilitation projects of lines 1 and 2, which is the rail replacement project, wherein the old and worn out rails will be replaced by new and improved rails. The rail replacement project will take three years to complete because it could only take place during nighttime since the LRT and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) operates from as early as 5 a.m. up to 11 p.m..
The purchasing of new and improved trains is for the MRT.
“For the MRT 3, that is a different story. Kasi wala na silang tren. 20 trains lang sila. Tumatakbo na lahat ‘yun, gamit na gamit at kulang na, so kailangan ng bumili,” he said.
“Iyong each of the 20 trains na yun, designed to carry 300 passengers daily. 600 na ang passengers ngayon. Na-doble na. And yet, tumaas na ang bilang ng riders mo ‘di pa tumataas ang bilang ng trains,” he added. It will take up to two years to purchase new trains.
“So kailangan diyan ay maintenance, katakot-takot na maintenance activities. Aside from the maintenance activities, kailangan ng spare parts kasi nagkakaroon na ng wear and tear ‘yung mga gamit,” he said.
Time for change
The increase in the LRT-MRT fare will be returned to the public through better services.
If there is no government subsidy, a passenger will pay a minimum fare of 40 pesos. So the actual increase is approximately P5 only.
“Magkakaroon tayo ng mga improvements. Pagagandahin natin ang mga comfort rooms (CR), magdadagdag tayo sa ticketing system,” he said. Definitely before the fare adjustments will be implemented, mayroon tayong makikitang changes in the service on the small things. Hindi ‘yung malalaking bagay tulad ng bagong trains..”
Improvements such as rehabilitation projects and the purchase of new trains will not take place immediately.
“The last fare adjustment was done in 2003, napakatagal na n’on. “it’s about time na mag-increase na rin tayo,” he said.
LRT-MRT spokesperson Hernando Cabrera said that the train systems really need to upgrade through their rehabilitation projects and the budget will not just come from the fare paid by the people but from the loans as well.
He also said that the fare increase is reasonable because it will be for train commuters’ benefit.
“Iyong expenses for the spare parts and maintenance activities plus the operational expenses like security, power at sweldo ng mga personnel ay kakainin lahat ng income na binabayad ng pasahero,” Cabrera said in an interview. “It’s not enough to call for all the expenses. That’s where the subsidy comes in.”
He added that the government is not passing their responsibility [subsidizing] to the public because the added fare will be allocated to the services for the commuters.
A regular train passenger pays a minimum fare of P10 in a single journey and the government subsidizes an additional P40 to P60 because of the included loans that were used to build the train systems.
Repair and purchase
He said that there are enough trains in Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2 to accommodate a large number of passengers so they will just repair and upgrade these trains.
He also showed one of the rehabilitation projects of lines 1 and 2, which is the rail replacement project, wherein the old and worn out rails will be replaced by new and improved rails. The rail replacement project will take three years to complete because it could only take place during nighttime since the LRT and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) operates from as early as 5 a.m. up to 11 p.m..
The purchasing of new and improved trains is for the MRT.
“For the MRT 3, that is a different story. Kasi wala na silang tren. 20 trains lang sila. Tumatakbo na lahat ‘yun, gamit na gamit at kulang na, so kailangan ng bumili,” he said.
“Iyong each of the 20 trains na yun, designed to carry 300 passengers daily. 600 na ang passengers ngayon. Na-doble na. And yet, tumaas na ang bilang ng riders mo ‘di pa tumataas ang bilang ng trains,” he added. It will take up to two years to purchase new trains.
“So kailangan diyan ay maintenance, katakot-takot na maintenance activities. Aside from the maintenance activities, kailangan ng spare parts kasi nagkakaroon na ng wear and tear ‘yung mga gamit,” he said.
Time for change
The increase in the LRT-MRT fare will be returned to the public through better services.
If there is no government subsidy, a passenger will pay a minimum fare of 40 pesos. So the actual increase is approximately P5 only.
“Magkakaroon tayo ng mga improvements. Pagagandahin natin ang mga comfort rooms (CR), magdadagdag tayo sa ticketing system,” he said. Definitely before the fare adjustments will be implemented, mayroon tayong makikitang changes in the service on the small things. Hindi ‘yung malalaking bagay tulad ng bagong trains..”
Improvements such as rehabilitation projects and the purchase of new trains will not take place immediately.
“The last fare adjustment was done in 2003, napakatagal na n’on. “it’s about time na mag-increase na rin tayo,” he said.