LRT-1Fare Hike Takes Effect
Various transport and progressive groups, including Bayan and
Anakbayan, have urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to halt the fare
hike on Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), which is scheduled to take
effect on April 2, 2025.
The activist organizations are demanding that the Department of
Transportation (DOTr) disclose the rationale behind the fare increase
and reconsider the privatization agreement, which they believe is
detrimental to commuters.
The fare hike, approved by the DOTr's Rail Regulatory Unit in February
2025, raises the minimum fare on LRT-1 from ₱15 to ₱20.
Officials from the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), the LRT-1
concessionaire, have defended the increase, citing rising maintenance
and operational costs, as well as significant investments aimed at
upgrading rail infrastructure and facilities.
Despite these justifications, Malacañang officials have already
rejected petitions to stop the fare increase, arguing that doing so
would violate the existing contract with LRMC. Presidential
Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro emphasized that the
fare hike is mandated by the concession agreement and has previously
been postponed to benefit commuters.
In response, transport groups have stressed the need for transparency,
urging the government to renegotiate the terms of the privatization
deal, which they argue disproportionately burdens commuters.
It's another grin and bear it moment for commuters. Here's hoping the next
call for fare hike for light rail transit operators will be subject to the
hemming and hawing that characterized past administration's reaction to
such petitions leading to long delays.