DOTC eyes common card for MRT, LRT

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will launch a single smart card for Metro Manila’s three elevated railways in September, an official said yesterday.

Robert Siy, the DOTC’s senior adviser in the office for planning said the Automatic Fare Collection Systems Inc. (AFCSI) and the DOTC had agreed to implement a fare collection system that will “unify” the electronic cards for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2. 

“So, by September they will already have smart cards available for sale and they will have it very conveniently available (in stores or in banks) so that people can just buy and then load (before boarding),” Siy said, but clarified that the system is not yet clear on how the load process will be done. 

The machines and the electronic cards used at the MRT and LRT trains will be replaced by the new system wherein passengers can easily tap their cards, and reduce the queuing time for MRT and LRT commuters. 

A smart card is a technical term used for a chip that is designed to measure the amount of load, but it may also contain other features that can be activated, Siy explained. 

He said that they are also thinking of applying the same approach to all city buses in Metro Manila.

He said some bus operators have signified their interest in adopting the new system.