No fare increases despite reduced public transport capacity in ECQ, DOTr says

There will be no price increases in public transport despite the reduced capacity to be implemented amid the reimposition of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the NCR Plus bubble, officials announced Sunday.

According to Transportation Assistant Secretary Steve Mark Pastor, Secretary Arthur Tugade ordered that fares remain unchanged as the country continues to be under community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Wala pong pagtaas ng pamasahe, ito po ay paulit-ulit na direktiba sa atin ni Secretary Tugade upang makatulong na rin po sa ating mga kababayan dahil ang DOTr na rin po ay kasangga ng ating mga mananakay at gayon din po ng ating mga nagtratrabaho at naghahanapbuhay kung kaya't wala po tayong pagtaas sa pamasahe po," he said.

(There will be no fare increases. This has directive has been repeated by Secretary Tugade to help our countrymen as the DOTr is a partner of our commuters and those working and earning a livelihood, so there will be no increase in fares.)

Metro Manila and nearby provinces—collectively tagged as NCR Plus—will be under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) starting midnight March 29 until Sunday, April 4, 2021. No guidance has been given as to what will follow the ECQ.

Prior to the announcement of the ECQ, the government banned the non-essential entry and exit into the NCR Plus bubble during the same period. The bubble covers Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan. — BM, GMA News