GREAT relief for the commuters

This is how Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman described and “commended at the same time,” the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defer the LRT 1 and LRT 2 fare hike.

“It would be a great relief for the daily commuting public of LRT 1 and 2 because they can save some money for their children’s education and other increasing expenses for the next school year. Hopefully, fare increases will be put on hold until our situation gets better,” Roman said.

Roman, chairperson of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality, said it is not appropriate to raise fares in mass transport systems like LRT 1 and 2.

“It is because it would only add burdens to the daily budget of the commuting public, especially those who are only earning minimum wage considering the current prices of basic commodities and services,” the solon said.

Roman urged the Department of Transportation (DOTR) to balance the situation before making any changes to the existing fare rates of these mass transport systems.

“Bago isapubliko ang mga bagay na lubhang makaaapekto sa nakararami ay dapat na siguraduhin na munang mabuti para hindi na makadagdag sa mga dati nang isipin ng mamamayan dahil na rin sa kondisyon ng pamumuhay natin ngayon,” Roman added.

The lawmaker agreed with the President’s order to be cautious with the implementation of the fare hike until its economic impact on the commuters has been thoroughly studied.

“Fare hike affects most of our community, from students to the working class. Respective agencies should be very careful in implementing these changes and see if it is fair and just to the commuting public,” Roman said.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the fare increase for LRT-1 and 2 has already been approved, but President Marcos has halted its implementation to look at its effect on the commuters more closely.

The fare increase is set to be P2.29 for the boarding fee and P0.21 per kilometer for the two train lines.

This means that the fare for LRT-1 and 2 will increase up to P14 to P35 depending on the distance of the trip.

The management of the Light Rail Transit Authority cited losses of over P7 billion, thus requesting the fare hike. They had their last fare increase back in 2015.