This move might see fares increasing up to Php 15.
On Thursday, January 9, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the public consultation on the proposed fare hike in Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1).
Petitioned by its operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), this might see its boarding fee increase from the current Php 13.29 with Php 1.21 increment per kilometer to Php 18.15 plus Php 1.65 added per kilometer.
If approved, this could mean that the current Php 45 single journey ticket for an end-to-end trip from Dr. Santos to FPJ Avenue (and vice versa) would become Php 60.
According to LRMC, this fare increase is to address a Php 2 billion fare deficit, which could increase to Php 7 billion in three years without fares being updated.
The LRMC took over the operations and maintenance of the LRT-1 network in 2015, and had only made 1 fare hike to date.
The DOTr is set to decide on the petition within 30 days, with the agency having the power to whether approve, squash, or only implement a small increase.