More than 129 million commuters patronized the state-run Metro Rail Transit Line 3, or MRT-3, in 2023 — representing a 30-percent surge in improved mobility.

In a report released on Wednesday, the Department of Transportation, or DoTr, announced that the number of passengers last year reached an all-time high of 129,030,158, significantly higher than the 98,330,683 riders recorded in 2022.

The MRT saw an increase in its average daily ridership to 357,198 from the previous year's 273,141.

Moreover, the highest single-day ridership was recorded on 22 August, with 450,298 passengers. August also had the highest number of monthly passengers at 11,618,005.

Additionally, the DoTr reported that 220,706 passengers benefited from MRT-3's free ride programs in 2023.

To recall, the MRT-3 management sought to adjust its fares to address operational and financial challenges due to higher operation and maintenance costs on top of significant foregone revenues.

Transportation Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette B. Aquino earlier said MRT-3 presently sustains a P6.2-billion deficit partly due to the deferred fare increase.

Aquino said a "proper fare" for an end-to-end MRT 3 ride — from the Taft Avenue station to the North Avenue Station — should be P69. However, passengers currently pay only P28 for the route.

In early 2023, the MRT sought to adjust its fares by adding P2.29 as boarding fare and  21 centavos for each kilometer traveled.

Once the petition is approved, the MRT-3 management is expected to raise its income by about P55 million, increasing the capacity of each train set from 394 passengers to 1,576 passengers.