The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) board should consider delaying or effecting a staggered implementation of any fare hike to ease its impact on poor commuters, Senator Grace Poe appealed on Wednesday.
In a statement, Poe said her suggestion could be considered by the DOTr and the operator of the LRT-1 while the discussions on suspending some portions of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law are ongoing.
“While the concession agreement provides for a CPI (consumer price index)-based fare adjustment, the DOTr and the LRT board may also consider further delaying or instead effecting a staggered implementation of any fare hike to soften the impact on poor commuters who have been hit by the adverse effect of the Train Law to their shallow pockets,” the senator said.
On Tuesday, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) Chief Executive Officer Juan Alfonso said the LRT-1 is planning to implement a fare hike of between P5 to P7. If approved, the hike will be effective by August 2018.
Alfonso said the hike is “overdue,” as fares were last increased in 2015. /muf
READ: Looming MRT, LRT fare hike ‘insensitive’, ‘unwarranted’ – Bayan Muna