Bayan Muna seeks probe on LRT, MRT fare hikes

MANILA, Philippines – Bayan Muna is asking its colleagues in the House to spend several days during the Christmas break to conduct hearings on the fare increases of the Light Rail Transit 1 and 2 (LRT 1 and 2) and Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) set for early 2015.

With the Department of Transportation and Communications publishing the notice of fare hike on Monday (Dec. 22), Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said that the fare hikes that would increase by as much as double the cost of riding the country’s electric rains would be in effect within 15 days or starting January 4.

“We are calling on the House leadership to call for a special session for this or for the Congress Transportation Committee to hold hearings for HR 111 even during the Christmas break because the fare increase will be implemented as early as the first Monday of January,” said Colmenares in a statement.

A ride on LRT-1, from Baclaran to Roosevelt, will cost P29 from the current P12 to P15; a one-way trip on LRT-2, from Santolan to Recto, will cost P24 from the current P20; and a trip on MRT-3, between North Avenue and Taft Avenue, will cost P28 from the current range of P10 to P15.

“The argument that the subsidy allotted to the MRT/LRT should be lowered or given to other regions because they do not use it is wrong because such an argument can also be used against projects in other regions,” said Colmenares. He likened this argument to questioning the funding for the construction or rehabilitation of a bridge in Eastern Visayas because the rest of the Philippines would not be using it.

He said there was nothing wrong with subsidizing the transport needs of a predominantly poor population. “What is wrong is to create conflict and division among regions and provinces and pit the projects and benefits of one region against the other.”

Bayan Rep. Isagani Zarate said that the fare hikes were a prelude to the privatization of the mass train systems that would put the public at the mercy of corporate greed. “It is feared that increasing fares will eventually lead to privatization and the state’s abandonment of its duty to provide affordable mass transportation to the citizens,” Zarate said.

Zarate said that before any fare hikes, the government should first determine the true nature of the high cost of operations and the large amount of debt incurred by the project. “Are taxpayers actually subsidizing debt incurred by the private consortium that built the MRT? There is need for government to look into the operational costs of the MRT and LRT lines to check if there might be excessive expenses or mismanagement of funds,” Zarate said.

Colmenares said that the privatization of the MRT could spawn “sweetheart deals” or what Filipinos call “ginigisa tayo sa sarili nating mantika” (cooked in one’s oil).