Poe: 'Any LRT fare hike is a pain in the pocket'
Published Jun 19, 2023 09:47 am
Any fare increase at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is a pain in the pocket.
“Improvement in train services and facilities should come before any fare increase, not the other way around,” Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate public services committee, on Monday, June 19, said.
“Any fare hike is a pain in the pocket especially to our students and workers who live on a shoestring budget and rely on the cheaper mass transportation,” she added.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced that Line 1 and Line 2 of the LRT will implement a fare increase which will take effect on August 2.
Poe said she expects the operations of LRT-1, a private-owned company, to continuously invest in a better train system to make its venture profitable
As for LRT2, Poe pointed out that the government puts in billions of pesos in subsidies through the budget every year.
“In the coming budget deliberation, we want to see how these subsidies are spent and ensure they benefit the passengers,” she added.
“Kung maganda ang serbisyo, dadami ang pasahero (Many will patronize when the service is good). Nararapat lang na maramdaman nila ang ligtas, komportable at modernong train system sa bawat byahe (It is the right of passengers to ride in a safe, comfortable and modern train),’’ she said.