Latest news with #LRT1
GMA Network
03-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Raffy Tulfo urges dedicated booths for students at LRT, MRT stations
Senator Raffy Tulfo has called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to put up dedicated booths or lanes for students who will avail of their 50% fare discount at Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) stations. Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said that based on the onsite inspections of his team at certain train stations, some students choose not to get the discount due to the "time-consuming and inconvenient process." The DOTr has increased the fare discount for all students, including those taking up postgraduate studies, from 20% to 50% for LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3, beginning June 20. To get the discounted rates, students are required to present their valid ID within the current school year. Their tickets must be purchased at the ticket counter to avail of the discounted rates. These are valid for single journey tickets only and not applicable for beep cards and stored value tickets. Upon hearing the students' concerns, Tulfo said separate ticket booths or lanes should be set up exclusively for students, apart from those for senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and regular passengers. He also called on the DOTr to develop a more efficient student verification process that would no longer require manual form-filling, and to make the student discount applicable to beep cards. "The goal of the student fare discount is to make transportation more accessible to learners—not to create new obstacles for them or for other commuters," Tulfo said in a statement. Sought for comment on the matter, Transport Secretary Vince Dizon said he has already instructed the management teams of LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3 to put up dedicated student lanes, as advised by the senator. As of Thursday, July 3, Dizon confirmed with GMA News Online that all stations at MRT-3 have already allocated a counter exclusively for students. "All [MRT-3] stations with dedicated student lane. LRT 1 [and] 2 will do the same," he said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
05-02-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
MMDA eyes possible shutdown of EDSA busway
Operations of the Epifanio delos Santos Ave. (EDSA) busway may be shut down eventually should there be enough passenger capacity for the Metro Rail Line Transit (MRT-3), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said. In a press briefing on Wednesday, Feb. 5, MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes said there are plans to launch a new train wagon to increase the current MRT capacity by 30%. Artes said the purpose of the MRT and EDSA busway is just 'repetitive.' 'Kung maa-accommodate naman sa taas, sa tren iyong mga pasahero, we don't see the need na magkaroon pa ng bus kasi exactly the same route nga siya. In fact, mas bentahe pa nga ang train dahil mas marami siyang stops kaysa sa bus carousel,' he said. The MMDA chief said there are also suggestions to free up the current EDSA bus lane for use of high-occupancy vehicles. 'May plano po ang DOTr na talagang magkaroon ng seamless transfer from different train system like MRT, idugtong na talaga sa LRT 1, or iyong sa north, same, LRT-1,' Artes noted. Artes, however, clarified that the proposal will not happen if train capacity will not be addressed. 'Hangga't hindi pa kaya i-accomodate ng MRT iyong pasahero po ng bus carousel, hindi maaalis iyong buses na iyan,' he said. Just early this week, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the DOTr is fixing terms of reference for the privatization of the EDSA carousel operations for a possible turnover in 2026. The special bus lane began in 2020 to address travel woes during the pandemic. It followed a paid fare system in 2023. Bus operations stretch from Monumento in Caloocan to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX).
