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There will be no rollbacks when it comes to the recently increased fares for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the Light Rail Transit (LRT).
“President Noynoy Aquino will not change his mind on the fare adjustments in Metro Manila’s elevated mass transit system despite an appeal from members of the Akbayan party-list, an administration ally, seeking to overturn the increases,” report Joyce Pangco Panares and Joel E. Zurbano in Manila Standard Today.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda explained, “The President has already spoken. The position we have taken is that we need to allow the resources of government devoted to the subsidy for the MRT to be funneled to some other programs and other people who may benefit from that PHP2 billion.”
Lacierda added, “Also, we are now in the process of improving the services of the MRT. We have timetables insofar as all these improvements are being done. And the Supreme Court did not issue a temporary restraining order but asked the government to comment on the rate [fare] hike.”
The report noted: “Earlier, Aquino had said delaying further the fare adjustment would only worsen the problem. He said it was only fair that commuters who take the mass transit systems pay for the service.”
Aquino had stated, “Somebody has to pay. And it is only reasonable that if you are the one who benefited from the service, then you pay a little more. Even with the increase, the full payment of PHP60 for MRT, for example, will still be subsidized.”
Photo: Gov.ph
