NEWSFLASH

LRT FARES UP BY 20% THIS MONTH

Manila, Jan. 16, 2000 Commuters will have to pay P12 for every LRT ride before the end of the month.

Transportation Secretary Vicente Rivera Jr. said the fare of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) will increase from P10 to P12 before this month ends. President Estrada has not officially given his nod but Rivera claims Malacanang has approved it "in principle."

"LRT fares will increase soon. The President requested that it not be done during the Yuletide season, so most likely, the increase will be implemented before January ends," Rivera announced.

Last year, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) sought a P5-increase to generate funds for the rising cost of operating the elevated trains. President Estrada, however, wanted it lowered a little bit, Rivera said.

Rivera said the President feared that students might not afford an increase of P5. "Most of the passengers of LRT are students so he did not want to cause them any burden."

The 18-station LRT runs along the stretch of Rizal and Taft Avenues from Monumento in Caloocan City to Baclaran in Parañaque.

It received a subsidy of P600 million from the national government in 1998.

When LRTA jacked up its fare by P5 last year, President Estrada was pressured by public criticism to order a rollback.

“The President heeded the public's call. The government will shoulder as much as it can of the operational cost of LRT," Rivera added.