Infographic on the advantages of the new beep card over the old tickets. Infographic from the Philippine Information agency
After the successful pilot of the new ticketing system, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2 will start using the tap-and-go “beep cards” on Sunday, August 16.
Atty. Hernando Cabrera, spokesman of the LRT Authority (LRTA), said on Friday that the LRT-2 and all the 20 southbound stations of the LRT-1 would commence the use of beep cards after the new ticketing machines have been installed.
“Para sa Line 1, natapos na natin ‘yung installation nu’ng mga bagong ticket gates sa southbound na direksyon. Ito ‘yung direksyon from Roosevelt papuntang Baclaran,” Cabrera said.
(For Line 1, we have finished installing the ticket gates for southbound trips. These are the trips from Roosevelt station going to Baclaran station.)
READ: LRT ‘Beep card’ trial a success – DOTC
He said LRT stations have started pre-selling the new beep cards ahead of their implementation.
“As early as Monday, nag-umpisa na tayo sa pre-selling. So pagdating sa Sunday, hindi dadagsahin yung ticket booth natin,” he said.
According to him, the LRTA is still installing the new ticketing machines for the LRT-1 northbound stations and would be finished by mid-September.
The LRTA has announced that it already stopped selling magnetic cards for LRT-1 stations since last week.
READ: Magnetic card sa LRT Line-1, phase out na ayon sa LRTA
Cabrera said that passengers with magnetic stored value cards may get cash refunds for the remaining value of their cards in all the ticketing booths of LRT-1 stations until August 15.
As for the LRT-1 northbound, paper coupons are used for the meantime until the new ticketing system is available. IDL