LRT-1 fare hike looms

Commuters on the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) may need to adjust their budgets as fare increases are set to take place in April.

LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC) confirmed Tuesday that it will implement the new fare structure following approval from the Department of Transportation (DoTr) on 14 February 2025.

The new fare structure, which is lower than the rates LRMC initially proposed for 2024, will increase the LRT-1 boarding fare to P16.25, with a distance fare of P1.47 per kilometer.

Currently, the base fare is P13.29, with an additional P1.21 charged per kilometer, as approved by the DoTr in 2023.

With the new fares, the maximum single-journey fare will rise from P45 to P55, while the minimum fare will increase from P15 to P20.

Additionally, the maximum fare for a stored value card will go up from P43 to P52, and the minimum fare will rise from P15 to P16.

LRMC president and CEO Enrico R. Benipayo pointed out that the adjustment, which comes a little over a month after a public hearing on 9 January, marks only the second fare adjustment in the past decade, despite the recent opening of the Cavite Extension.

“Public transport is a service that requires continuous investment in maintenance, upgrades, and expansion. Countries with world-class transport systems such as Singapore and Japan adjust fares regularly to keep services efficient and safe,” Benipayo said.

He also cited improvements in service, including a reduction in cycle time from 106 minutes in 2015 to 91 minutes in 2024.

“LRMC has always achieved 100 percent of its monthly system reliability, system punctuality, and system availability performance indicators. We remain committed to our mission of giving people back their time through efficient transport and putting more value to every single peso that our passengers spend for every LRT-1 ride,” Benipayo said.