LRT-2 fare hikes to start August 2
MANILA, Philippines — The Light Rail Authority has announced it will start implementing fare hikes in LRT-2 on August 2.
According to the new LRT-2 fare matrix released Monday, the minimum fare will increase to P13 from P11, while the maximum fare will increase to P33 from P28.
Fares for those using single-journey cards will increase to P20 from P15 at the minimum and P35 from P30 at the maximum.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) in April postponed the implementation of fare hikes in the rail lines LRT-1 and LRT-2 pending further study on its economic impact on commuters, as ordered by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
The government last approved fare hikes for LRT-2 and MRT-3 in 2015.
At a briefing last April, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said LRT-1, which was privatized in 2015, filed four petitions for fare adjustments from 2016 to 2022, all of which were "deferred". He did not elaborate nor confirm if all the petitions had been approved.
The fare increases come at a time when inflation has eased to a 12-month low of 6.1% in May compared to 6.6% in April.
During a House hearing in February on impending fare hikes in Metro Manila's major railways, LRTA officials said LRT-2 currently subsidizes 51% of the cost per passenger (break even fare), which they aim to bring down to 46%.
In the same hearing, LRTA officials also said earnings from fare hikes would go to paying off the common carrier's tax and operational expenses. — Cristina Chi