LRT, MRT fares up in October

MANILA, Philippines - Beginning next month, commuters will have to pay more – perhaps as much as P30 – for riding the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

Transportation and Communications Undersecretary for Public Information Dante Velasco did not mention the exact rates but stressed that the MRT fare hike would not be more than 100 percent and that for LRT 1 and 2, the fares would range from P20 to P30. The current maximum LRT and MRT fare is P15.

Velasco pointed out that the new rates would only be at par with those for air-conditioned buses and passenger FX taxis which take the same routes.

LRT 1 and 2 run between Pasay and Caloocan along Taft Ave., Rizal Ave. and Aurora Blvd., while the MRT’s route is along EDSA.

Meanwhile, DOTC Undersecretary for Rail and Civil Aviation Sector Glicerio Sicat has been appointed officer-in-charge of the MRT in concurrent capacity.

Sicat assumed the MRT MetroStar Express top post from retired police general Reynaldo Berroya. Turnover ceremonies were held yesterday at the MRT depot at the Trinoma shopping mall complex in Quezon City.

The appointment of Sicat comes at a time “when new initiatives are being pursued to improve services, achieve operational efficiency and make the systems ultimately financially viable,” Velasco said.

The DOTC said that Sicat, an investment banker, was chosen for his “expertise and experience in spotting worthwhile projects that have great chances for success.”

Before his appointment as DOTC undersecretary, Sicat served as executive of various private organizations such as the Inter-Pacific Capital Philippines Corp., the Philippine Telephone and Telegraph, Philippine Investments Systems Organization, and Filinvest Credit Corp.

Sicat finished his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree in UP Diliman. He holds a master’s degree in business management from the Ateneo de Manila University.