Senator warns Palace anew vs MRT, LRT fare hike

MANILA, Philippines -  Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri warned the Palace anew against the planned increase in fares for the Metro Railway Transit (MRT) and the Land Railway Transit (LRT), saying this will bring down the approval and performance ratings of President Aquino.

Zubiri said the increase in MRT and LRT fares that will be implemented at the same time as the power and fuel hikes will “cause an uproar among Metro Manila residents and we will see a drop in the President’s approval ratings.”

Aquino’s approval ratings went down by about 13 percent last month, with reports attributing the drop to the negative public perception of the President buying a second-hand Porsche.

Zubiri said LRT and MRT officials need to convince the riding public that the fare increase is needed. “They should know that nearly all metropolitan rail systems are subsidized by the governments in other countries,” he said.

The Department of Transportation and Communication earlier announced that the railway fare hike will be implemented next month after it was delayed several times since last year due to the protests by the riding public.