DOTr exec: No fare increase for MRT-LRT common station

The planned MRT-LRT common station at North Edsa (Photo from the Department of Transportation)

Commuters will bear no fare increase with the construction of the P2.8-billion MRT-LRT common station in Quezon City, an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) told a Senate hearing on Monday.

DOTr Assistant Secretary Leaf Quiambao gave the assurance during the hearing of the Senate committee on public services joint with the committee on public works.

“Yung common station po nating ito wala po itong epekto sa fares (This common station won’t have any effect on the fares). There will be no concomitant increase fares,” Quiambao said responding to Senator Grace Poe’s query.

“Wala rin pong effect sa fare sa MRT, sa ating future MRT-7 at ito pong common station. Totally separate yung pong fare mechanism ng MRT 7 at ito pong common station (There would also no effect on the fares of the MRT, future MRT-7 and common station. The fare mechanism of MRT 7 and common station is totally separate),” the DOTr official added.

It was Poe, chair of the committee on public services, who initiated the inquiry on the common station project that would connect the LRT1, MRT 3 and the soon-to-be-built MRT Line 7.

“Walang sneaky ha na bigla na lang kasi may mga ganito, ganyan, yun pala pinapasok nyo na yung cost dyan (I hope there would be no sneaky [move in the plan. We don’t want to be surprised] that you are adding the cost),” the senator said.

“Wala po (There is none), Madam chair, as far as the legal is concerned. We’ve studied the MOA (memorandum of agreement). We’ve made sure under the instruction po of Secretary (Arthur) Tugade that there will no concomitant increase in fares of the lines,” the DOTr official added.

The MOA was signed last January 18 for the construction of the project, which will commence in the last quarter of the year and is expected to be completed by April 2019. RAM/rga

READ: DOTr inks MOA for construction of LRT-MRT common station