MANILA — The Light Rail Transit Authority on Thursday assured commuters that no fare adjustments are yet to be made in Metro Manila train lines LRT-1 and LRT-2.

In a news conference, LRTA administrator Hernando Cabrera denied reports of a looming fare hike in December.

“Walang pagbabago. Status quo tayo diyan. Hindi tayo mag-iincrease bukas, hindi tayo mag-i-increase next week, hindi tayo mag-i-increase next month," Cabrera said.

"Lahat ito dadaan sa mahabang process at kailangan i-evaluate lahat, lahat ng factors pagdating sa usapin ng fare adjustment,” he added.

Cabrera said proposals on fare adjustments were merely an exercise during the LRTA’s annual corporate planning of finding ways to augment the government’s subsidy to the public transport.

One such proposal seeks to add P5 to the current basic fare of P11 and P1.50 for every additional kilometer.

LRT passengers currently spend up to P30 on a trip across the entire railway line.

Without government subsidy, P80 to P100 would be added to the actual cost of the fare, Cabrera said.

Cabrera said the process for getting the increase granted, which includes publication and hearings on the fare hike, will take long.

Various factors also have to be considered in pegging a rate of increase, he said.

“Iba-balance natin ang mga bagay - ‘yung subsidy galing from the government, ‘yong pangangailangan namin ng finances, and the reality na ‘pag taasan mo ‘yan iiwanan ka ng pasahero or they will go to other modes of transport, magiging self-defeating ang activity mo,” said Cabrera.

The LRTA said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has also directed them not to approve any fare hikes for as long as the train operators could still shoulder the operating costs.

Fares for the LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 were last increased in 2015.

Cabrera said the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), the private entity operating LRT-1, made three fare hike proposals in 2016, 2018, and 2020 as part of its 32-year concession agreement, but had not been approved.

The LRT-1 is claiming over P2.6 billion in compensation and costs from the government as a result of the rejection, an issue undergoing arbitration.

The LRMC again filed a fare hike petition last March, citing its need to maintain quality of service and recoup around P8 billion in improvement costs incurred since 2014.

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