No fare hike seen for MRT-3 in 2025

Amid talks of a possible fare hike for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), the administration of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) said there will be no fare hike for their transport system this year.

"Sa ngayon po, siyempre for the year, it will not happen and maybe the next one or two years pa. Kasi po regulated naman po ng DOTr iyan," said MRT-3 General Manager Oscar Bongon in an interview.

"Sa ngayon po walang petisyon ang MRT-3 for fare hike at wala naman pong obligasyon to do that kagaya po ng mayroong private concessionaire na nasa kontrata nila that periodically they have to adjust. Pero po sa MRT-3, wala pong ganoon kasi tayo po ang nag-operate," he added.

(As of the moment, MRT-3 has no petition for a fare hike, and there is no obligation to do that, unlike those under private concessionaires, where it is stipulated in their contracts that they have to periodically adjust. For the MRT-3, there is no such thing because we are the ones operating it.)

Meanwhile, Bongon said that the MRT-3 is targeting to operate from three-car to four-car train sets in June as they anticipate the completion of their pocket track extension in the Taft Avenue and the North Avenue turn-back facility.

"Kasi po currently we are operating three-car trains, so kapag matapos po ang proyektong ito (So, the objective is, because currently we are operating with three-car trains, if this project is finished), the infrastructure can now accommodate a four-car train," Bongon said.

"So, meaning from three-car to four-car train in its trip would be able to increase the capacity by 33%. So iyan po iyong expected natin, once we operated a four-car train," he added.

—VAL, GMA Integrated News