LRT users can heave a sigh of relief for now.

There will be no immediate fare increases in the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 as petitions for tariff adjustments are yet to be approved.

Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) Administrator Hernando Cabrera said in a press briefing Thursday that petitions for LRT 1 and 2 would still need to go through a stringent and “lengthy process of approval” by the regulators. 

“We won’t increase tomorrow, we won’t increase next, or even next month. This will go through a long process and we will have to evaluate all factors when it comes to fare adjustment,” Cabrera told reporters. 

Cabrera said the Light Rail Manila Corp., which operates the LRT Line 1, seeks a flat P16 boarding fee and P1.5 per kilometer ride. But he declined to disclose the proposed fare surge.

The LRTA could not say when the requested fare increase would take effect.

But once implemented, it would be put to good use, he said.

“Additional revenues will be used to rehabilitate and upgrade (the train system). The LRT 2 system is 20 years old, we have to upgrade a lot of things,” he said.

The fare matrices for LRT Lines 1 and 2 were last adjusted in 2015.

The Department of Transportation used to be the sole agency responsible for approving any train fare increase, but since LRT-1 is now privately operated, this needs the approval of at least three government agencies. 

Once petitions are filed, they need to undergo the scrutiny of the Rail Regulatory Unit, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the DoTr.

Photo credit: LRT-2