‘No MRT-3 fare hike this year’

MANILA, Philippines — There will be no fare increase for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 this year, according to the MRT-3 management.

A fare hike could be implemented within the next two years, MRT-3 general manager Oscar Bongon said on Tuesday.

Unlike the rail line operated by the private sector, the MRT-3 management is not required to file a petition for a fare increase, Bongon noted.

Ticket prices of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 and the state-controlled LRT-2 were increased in 2023.

The private operator of the LRT-1 has filed another fare hike petition, which could force passengers to pay up to P60.

Commuters may start paying higher fares by April if the government approves the petition of private operator Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC).

Increasing LRT-1 fares would “hurt the pockets of low-income workers,” labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno has said.

LRMC president and general manager Enrico Benipayo said the operator has to collect more from passengers to sustain the LRT-1.

Since taking over the LRT-1 in 2014, LRMC has been allowed to hike fares only once even though the concession allows the operator to adjust fares once every two years.

As a result, LRMC has accumulated a P2.17-billion fare deficit since filing for the first hike in 2016.

The Department of Transportation will evaluate fare hike petitions in the rail systems, Bongon said.

The LRT-1’s fare hike request every two years is stipulated in its concession deal with the government.