Commuters traversing through Metro Manila’s railways will soon be able to pay for their fares by a simple tap on their phone as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) prepares to deploy cashless turnstiles in July.
In a Palace briefing on Friday, May 30, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced that they will soon install the technology for the automatic fare collection (AFC) system across the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2.
Dizon said this will eliminate the need to purchase or reload a Beep card, the stored-value card used for paying fares on the rail lines, as commuters may only tap their phone or cars at the turnstile system.
“Mga bandang July ito, if I’m not mistaken. I-implement na natin sa MRT at sa ibang mga tren natin,” said Dizon.
(This is around July, if I’m not mistaken. We will already implement it on the MRT and on our other trains.)
“Alam ko pati credit card puwede na. Ita-tap mo na lang ‘yung phone mo. Hindi ka na kailangan bumili ng Beep card,“ he added.
(I know credit cards can also be used now. You’ll just tap your phone. You no longer need to buy a Beep card.)
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. earlier ordered the DOTr to develop an open-loop payment system that is integrated with multiple financial platforms.
Marcos said such a system is inspired by the inclusive systems employed by leading transit networks nationwide.
“Nakikita na naman natin ito sa ibang bansa. So, iyon ang sabi ng ating Pangulo, gawin na rin natin ‘yung mga modern facilities sa ibang bansa dito para sa mga kababayan natin,” said Dizon.
(We’re seeing this again in other countries. So, as our President said, let’s also build here the modern facilities that they have abroad for the benefit of our fellow citizens.)
The DOTr is now working with transport operators and financial service providers to ensure a smooth rollout of the cashless turnstiles.
The pilot testing and public information campaigns for the new payment scheme are planned for the period leading up to the July launch.