The management of the Metro Rail Transit-3 will refile the petition for fare increase anytime this week, a ranking official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Monday, Dec 4.
In a press briefing, DOTr Assistant Secretary Railways Jorjette B. Aquino explained the necessity to increase the fare for the MRT-3, saying the national government has been subsidizing a big portion of the fare for each passenger.
Based on the data assessment, the government is shouldering an average of around P41 per passenger.
The last time that a fare increase was approved for the MRT-3, according to Aquino, was in 2015.
"We believe that this fare adjustment is on the right side of the future of the rail system and the government should also be sensitive to the welfare of the people through a long-term effectiveness and sustainability of our rail system,” said Aquino.
The fare increase, she said, would make the MRT-3 system sustainable from the current fare matrix that makes the government operate the mass transport at a loss.
The proposal
The MRT-3 is proposing to increase its distance fare by only 21 centavos (from P1 to P1.21), its boarding fee by P2.29 (from P11 to P13.29).
If approved, the minimum fare will increase from P13 to P16, and the maximum fare (end-to-end) from P28 to P34.
The DOTR’s Rail Regulatory Unit earlier deferred the petition for fare hike due to “infirmities in complying with the requirements and procedures.”
The MRT-3, which runs from EDSA-Taft in Pasay City to EDSA-North Avenue in Quezon City, serves around 350,000 passengers per day.
The fare hike being sought for the MRT-3 would match the approved fare increase for LRT 1 and LRT 2.
Minimal effect
In the press briefing, Aquino said the fare increase petition for MRT-3 will have minimal effects on inflation based on the assessment of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
“As per NEDA, the fare adjustment's impact on inflation is minimal while the additional revenue would ease the burden on the national government to increase the subsidies to MRT-3," said Aquino.
She said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also stated in its comment that the fare hike proposals being sought for MRT-3 are still lower than those of city buses, city bus aircons, and modern public utility jeepneys.
2024 implementation
Aquino said the fare implementation, if approved, will not take effect immediately.
She said its implementation will be by late March or early April next year.