P12 flat rate for new LRT

The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) said yesterday a flat fare of P12 would be imposed on passengers of the LRT-2 that would initially operate from Santolan, Pasig to Cubao, Quezon City.

LRTA administrator Teddy Cruz Jr. said the fare structure, patterned after that of the existing LRT-1, was determined by the Fare Policy Committee of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and approved by the LRTA Board.

"We will be coming up with stored value tickets priced at P120 and discounted stored value tickets for senior citizens at P96," he said.

At present, the fare of the existing LRT-1 along the stretch of Rizal Avenue and Taft Avenue is P12. The fare of the EDSA-based Metro Rail Transit (MRT), on the other hand, is distance-related with P9.50 as minimum fare.

Under the plan, LRT-1, LRT-2 and the MRT will be interconnected, forming a loop of elevated trains in the metropolis.

The second phase of the LRT-2 will be operational by the year 2004 from Cubao to C.M. Recto Avenue in Manila. The project costs P31 billion.

"At present, it takes 45 minutes to more than an hour to reach Cubao from Santolan and vice-versa. With the LRT Line 2, the travel time will only be from 10 to 15 minutes," he said.

LRTA is expecting traffic along the route of LRT-2 to improve when the system becomes operational as a result of reduction in the volume of vehicles on the road. – Sheila Crisostomo