Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) commuters will enjoy a 50 percent fare discount beginning Monday, March 23, as the government moves to ease the impact of rising fuel prices.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced Thursday that the reduced fares will remain in effect until further notice.
Under the new scheme, MRT-3 fares will drop to ₱6 for the minimum ride and ₱14 for the full trip from North Avenue Station in Quezon City to Taft Avenue Station in Pasay.
For LRT-2, the minimum fare will be ₱8, while the end-to-end journey from Recto Station in Manila to Antipolo Station in Rizal will cost ₱18.
The DOTr said the discount will automatically apply to regular beep card holders. Passengers without stored-value cards may also avail of the lower rates through single-journey tickets.
The 50 percent discount for white beep cards used by senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and students will remain in effect.
The DOTr said it is currently in talks with Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), the private operator of LRT-1, to implement similar discounted fares on its railway.
“The government is doing everything to ease the burden of Filipinos amid the conflict in the Middle East,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, noting that the DOTr’s priority is to ensure continuous travel and more affordable fares.
Through the discounted fares, Lopez said commuters can save significantly by avoiding vehicles that consume fuel, whose prices have risen sharply in recent weeks due to supply disruptions in the Middle East.
The announcement of the fare discount follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ease the burden of daily commuting, including the suspension of scheduled fare hikes for public utility vehicles (PUVs).
Following Marcos’ order, Lopez said the DOTr is now expediting the release of fuel subsidies for qualified drivers and operators as additional assistance.
He said talks are also underway with private operators of the country’s expressways regarding the provision of toll discounts. (Dexter Barro II)
