By Norman Bordadora, Kristine L. Alave, Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Fares for commuter trains in Metro Manila will be raised to the level of those in air-conditioned buses, President Benigno Aquino III told reporters on Thursday.
He noted that taxpayers from outside Metro Manila were also subsidizing the operation and maintenance of the rail systems but were not benefiting from them.
The MRT and LRT lines are losing billions of pesos yearly that the national government is absorbing.
“What we are proposing is to put the (MRT/LRT) fare to the level of those being charged by air-conditioned buses,†the President told reporters covering him at the launching of two ships built by Hanjin in Subic, Zambales.
Malacañang announced on Wednesday that it was supporting fare increases in the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines.
Jeepney and bus fares are also expected to go up because of rising fuel prices. Taxi fare are set to go up at least 33 percent on Jan. 14. The fare increases come on the heels of higher toll rates on expressways in Luzon. - pdi
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