THE Transportation department hopes to finish its evaluation of the proposed fare hike for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) within the year.
“It is still being reviewed by our regulatory unit. We are not in a rush; I think we can come up with a decision within the year,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said on the sidelines of a House committee hearing.
In June, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the proposed hike for the MRT-3 has been filed and its Rail Regulatory Unit is reviewing the timing and rates of the proposed increase.
According to Assistant Secretary for railways Jorjette B. Aquino, the government has an outstanding payment of P3.4 billion to the operator of MRT-3 under its build-lease-transfer concession deal.
Last month, the DoTr said it is expecting fares generated by MRT-3 may be weaker than expected, leading to a possible failure to meet its financial obligations to the operator of the commuter line, Metro Rail Transit Corp.
The DoTr has said the fare hike increase proposal is for a P2.29 in boarding fare, or a 21-centavo increase per kilometer. In 2023, the DoTr said the MRT-3’s fare hike petition was refiled after a technical defect in its previous filing.
The DoTr rejected a previous proposal, noting that the MRT-3 management had failed to issue a notice of public hearing. — Ashley Erika O. Jose