(Eagle News Service) — Malacanang has said that the fare hike for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 and the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 is reasonable, as it stressed the need for the government to reduce, if not totally stop, subsidies for the MRT and LRT services.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., said that the fare hike was just “reasonable,” saying that previous government spending on the MRT and LRT could now be allotted for other social services.
“Risonable lamang na ayusin natin ‘yung sistema ng pamasahe at ilapit ito sa pamasahe sa mga air-conditioned buses, para ang kasalukuyang ginugugol ng pamahalaan na subsidiya sa MRT at LRT ay mailaan naman po para sa mga mahahalagang social services,” he said in a radio interview.
Coloma said government now needs to stop its subsidies for the MRT and LRT.
“Kinakailangan po na tapusin na itong subsidiya ng lahat ng Pilipino para sa mababang singil sa LRT/MRT. Sapagkat, kung tutuusin naman po, kahit ‘yung ating mga kababayan na nakatira sa mga lalawigan sa Visayas o Mindanao na hindi man lamang tumutuntong sa mga tren ng LRT o MRT, kasama po silang pumapasan doon sa malaking subsidiya na tinutustos para diyan,” said Coloma.
During the President’s SONA in 2013, he elaborated that the government allots a subsidy of P40 for every P15 fare in the LRT, and a further subsidy of P60 for every P15 fare the public paid at the MRT.
Coloma said it was high time to do what is right, which is to make the MRT and LRT fares comparable to the fare of airconditioned buses.
“Kaya ang ating pananaw hinggil sa pagtataas ng pamasahe sa LRT at MRT… uulitin ko po: Napapanahon na para maisagawa na po ang tama, at ito ay ang pagpapalapit ng pamasahe doon sa sinisingil sa mga air-conditioned buses, at panahon na rin po para itigil ‘yung subsidiyang malaki sa bawat pasahero para naman po ang halagang ito ay mailaan sa mga mahahalagang paglilingkod na panlipunan na mapapakinabangan naman ng milyon-milyong mga Pilipino,” said Coloma.
The government will impose a uniform distance-based fare scheme for all three train lines, where the minimum fare will be P11 for the initial kilometer, plus one peso for every succeeding kilometer.
The fare hike is expected to take effect on January 4, next year.
