DOTr orders bus operators, AF Payments to resolve Beep refunds

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered EDSA Busway operators and AF Payments Inc. to establish a proper refund system for overcharged Beep cards.

"Hindi ho ba dapat na patakaran lang yan. may kinuha kang amount o nakatanggap ka ng amount na hindi nagamit o maling gamitin kailangang ibalik?" said Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade in a report on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday.

This comes after several commuters reported that they were charged more than their fares.

"Ano yung proseso, eh di pagusapan ng service provider at ng bus operator. Prosesong kaaya aya na makakatulong sa pasahero," said Tugade.

The DOTr Secretary added that should the parties fail to resolve the refund problem, that would be the time the government would intervene.

"Ang kontrata, pirmado 'yan ng service provider tsaka bus operator. Kung kailangan mag-intervene ng gobyerno para ng sa ganon ang proseso maging judicious, equity and fair, papasok 'yung gobyerno," he said.

To recall, the DOTr suspended the mandatory use of the Beep cards at the EDSA Busway starting October 5, as many commuters were caught off guard with the pricing, considering that the cost to acquire a card which was sold at P180 during the first day of implementation -- P100 for the card, and P80 load.

AF Payments Inc., which operates the Beep card, has since said it will give out some 125,000 free cards to the public.

It also offered to shift to a QR payment system for transactions at the EDSA Busway for passengers who do not wish to avail of the Beep cards. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA News