LRT-2 operator expects P130M in foregone revenues from students’ free rides

CLARK CITY, Pampanga — The Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), operator of LRT-2, is expecting at least P130 million in foregone revenues a year from the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) free-ride initiative.

“Sa amin pong pagsusuri maliit lamang po ang mawawala sa pamahalaan, meaning sa revenue na kinikita ng ating line 2. Ang estimated po natin sa loob ng isang taon ang amin pong mawawala ay P130 million lamang po,” LRTA Administrator Rey Berroya said at a press briefing here.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier announced that students would get free rides from government-operated railway lines and free terminal fees in all airports and seaports across the country.

The MRT-3 and PNR, meanwhile, have not yet quantified the potential foregone revenues from the free-ride initiative.

In the case of LRT-1, the government cannot impose the free-ride initiative since it is privately operated.

“Itong aming plano po ay ‘di kasama ang line 1 dahil kapag inutusan natin sila na maglibre ng pamasahe ay sisingilin po sa atin ang mawawala sa kanila,” Berroya said.

LRT-1 is operated by the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), a consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Ayala Corp., and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings. The consortium took over the operations and management of LRT1 in September 2015. —VDS, GMA News