METRO RAIL TRANSIT Line 3’s (MRT-3) fare hike petition will likely be approved by next year, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said.
“It will go ahead but not right away. It is still being reviewed, maybe by next year,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista told reporters on the sidelines of a forum last week.
The fare hike increase is for a P2.29 in boarding fare, or a 21-centavo increase per kilometer. Once the proposal is approved, the boarding fare will become P13.29, while the distance fare will be P1.21 per kilometer.
In July, the DoTr said the MRT-3’s fare hike petition was refiled after a technical lapse in its previous filing.
The Transportation department had denied a previous proposal, noting that the MRT-3 management had failed to issue a notice of public hearing.
Currently, the boarding fare at the MRT stands at P11, while the distance fare is a peso per kilometer.
The fare hike petition will be approved before a private entity takes over the operations and maintenance of the MRT-3 by 2025, Mr. Bautista said.
The DoTr has said it is studying its options for the privatization of the MRT-3 once its build-lease-transfer contract lapses in 2025.
In September, the DoTr said it is reviewing the rules governing the handling of multiple unsolicited proposals after receiving a second bid to operate MRT-3. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
