THE proposed fare hike for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) is still being reviewed by the Rail Regulatory Unit (RRU), the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said.
“On the MRT-3 fare hike, the MRT-3 actually has filed its petition early this year but the timing and rates are still being studied,” Transportation Assistant Secretary for railways Jorjette B. Aquino told reporters on the sidelines of a forum on Tuesday.
In 2023, the DoTr said the fare hike petition may be approved early this year.
Ms. Aquino said the proposal is now being reviewed by the RRU, describing the current status of the application as still in the evaluation process.
“They have not given us a notice for public hearing, so I think they are still in the process of evaluating the timing and rate of increase,” she said.
Once the evaluation is finished, the notice for public hearing will be issued, which will run within one month from the issuance of notice.
She said the evaluation process and the publication of new rates will take at least three months.
The proposed fare hike increase is for a P2.29 in boarding fare, or a 21-centavo increase 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 DoTr rejected denied a previous proposal, noting that the MRT-3 management had failed to issue a notice of public hearing. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
