Aquino says MRT, LRT fare hikes fair and necessary

The Aquino administration is bent on implementing fare hikes for Metro Manila’s three transit railways, but assured the public that the new fares will be reasonable. Amid the proposal's unpopularity among commuters and even lawmakers, President Benigno Aquino III reiterated the necessity of lessening the subsidy for the operations of Light Rail Transit 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit to fund other projects. “Iyong subsidy ngayon na mababawas doon, puwedeng magamit sa iba pang proyekto na mass transport sa iba pang lugar," he said at a press briefing in Bais City, Negros Oriental, on Wednesday. The government earlier said it may cut down the subsidy by P2 billion every year, which is now pegged at P7.2 billion. Unfair? Aquino said it seems unfair for taxpayers all over the country to shoulder the operations cost of the LRT 1 and 2 and MRT, which he said are only servicing Metro Manila residents. “Magkano ba ang cost per passenger? Something like P60. Magkano ang tsina-charge? P15. Syempre may nagbubuno noong P45. Iyong nagbubuno ng P45, hindi lang NCR (National Capital Region). NCR lang ang nakikinabang doon sa LRT, MRT," he explained. Aquino also said residents from other highly urbanized regions such as Cebu and Davao have been asking the government for solutions for their mass transport problems. Asked when the fare increase would be implemented, the President said he still has to check with the schedule. As reasonable as bus fares In a separate interview, Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel “Mar" Roxas II assured the public that the proposed fare hikes will undergo the proper process, and that the increase will be as reasonable as bus fares. “Yung dulo’t dulo, mas mura ang MRT kesa bus and they have aircon and MRT is faster, savings is one hour. It’s reasonable kahit itapat or mas mahal nang konti sa bus but service is sulit," he said, adding that the government is planning to buy more coaches for the MRT to avoid congestion. At present, commuters using the MRT pay between P10 to P15. The MRT, which follows the circumferential route of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA), connects North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue Extension in Pasay City. The LRT-1 connects Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Baclaran in southern Metro Manila, while LRT-2 connects Marikina City to Manila.— KBK, GMA News