By Vittorio Hernandez

Bais City, Negros Oriental, Philippines

Fares will soon have to increase for the Metro Railway Transit and Light Railway that services the national capital region, President Benigno Aquino III said Wednesday.

Aquino hinted the rates for the two metro rail systems would be close or about the same as buses, but he did not provide a timetable for the tariff hikes.

Air conditioned buses in Metro Manila charge a minimum 28 cents (PHP 12) for every five kilometers (3.1 miles) traveled, while the MRT has a minimum charge of 24 cents (PHP 10) and the LRT 28 cents, but both have a 35-cent (PHP 15) maximum charge.

Transportation Secretary Mar Eoxas said the fare increase would depend on how much Congress allocates as subsidies for the two companies in the national budget for 2012. At current rates, the government subsidizes 75 percent of the $1.42 (PHP 60) actual cost of MRT and LRT rides from one end to the other of the two metro rail systems.

The MRT and LRT are popular among Metro Manila residents because they allow riders to reach their destinations in 30 minutes or less, while it would take two to three hours if they took land public transportation or drove to their destinations on a regular weekday due to the heavy traffic in the metropolis.

 

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World - Philippine Metro Rail Systems To Hike Fares | Global Viewpoint