LRT-1 fare adjustment looms

The public will have to wait a month for the Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) Rail Regulatory Unit (RRU) to decide on the Light Rail Manila Corp.’s (LRMC) petition for a Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) fare increase.

At a public hearing on Thursday, Transportation Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette Aquino said the agency needs 30 days after the hearing to evaluate and make a decision.

“If there is no fare increase, then the matter is closed. However, if the fare increase is granted, regardless of the amount, the petitioner is required to publish the decision in a newspaper for three consecutive weeks. After that, the implementation of the new fare matrix would take effect within 30 days,” Aquino said.

She also cautioned that depending on the agency’s decision, the fare may not be granted at all, or it could be approved at a lower amount than requested.

The LRMC, the private operator of LRT-1, is requesting an average fare increase of P7.48 per passenger.

Currently, the base fare for LRT-1 is P13.29, with an additional P1.21 charged per kilometer. This fare structure was approved by DoTr in 2023. If the petition is approved, the maximum fare for a single journey could rise from P45 to P60.

During the hearing, LRMC president and CEO Enrico Benipayo defended the fare hike by highlighting improvements in LRT-1, including an 87 percent increase in working light rail vehicles, from 77 in 2015 to 144 now, and nearly 100 percent reliability in the system.

Benipayo stressed that since LRMC took over in 2015, LRT-1 fares have only increased once, despite the concessionaire being allowed to adjust fares every two years. LRMC has filed for fare adjustments in 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022, all of which were deferred.

He explained that the proposed fare hike would cover the deferred adjustments, which have resulted in a fare deficit of P2.17 billion as of November 2024.