(FILE PHOTO) (January 4 2025) Metro Rail Transit (MRT3) seen passing in Kamuning Quezon City on Saturday January 4 2025. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on September 05, 2024 that it aims to deploy the China-made Dalian trains on the MRT-3 line by the middle 2025, they said the headway or the interval between each train’s arrival will also be reduced from the current four minutes to 2.5 minutes, if the Dalian trains are utilized.  Photo/Analy Labor
NATION

Cashless payment eyed for MRT-3

Maria Bernadette Romero

Commuters can soon use cashless payment for single journey tickets on the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) explores new measures to ease daily travel.

“The DOTr and MRT-3 are studying the implementation of cashless payment for single journey ticket purchases. Today marks the first workday after the Holy Week break,” the agency said in a statement Monday.

According to Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, the initiative responds to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to improve the commuting experience for Filipinos

Dizon, along with Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda and MRT-3 General Manager Michael Capati, conducted an early morning inspection on 21 April to check passenger flow and assess the condition of stations and trains.

During the visit, Dizon said he observed shorter queues following the deployment of three 4-car trains during rush hour — a move prompted by commuter calls to add more train cars during peak hours.

MRT-3 operations were temporarily suspended from 17 to 20 April for maintenance.

During the break, MRT-3 personnel performed system-wide cleaning, repairs, and installation of new components, including lighting ballast replacement and reconditioning of spare traction motors and other train parts.

The MRT-3 served an average of 375,474 passengers daily as of 2024.