The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the fare adjustment at the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), which takes effect on April 2 , 2025 is long overdue and necessary to ensure the operational viability of the rail line and sustain its necessary upgrades for the benefit of the commuting public.
“This rate increase is needed to not only ensure smooth and timely maintenance of LRT-1 but also the extension of the line all the way to Cavite under the present PPP contract,” the department said in a statement.
It said the increase, approved on Jan. 30, 2025, represents only the second adjustment, with 2023 being the first. This was also much lower than the proposed P20 fare originally submitted by the Light Rail Management Corp., it said.
The DOTr on Feb. 14, 2025, informed LRMC that the agency’s Railway Regulatory Unit approved its petition to adjust ticket prices for LRT-1.
This means that by April 2, the new minimum fare for a single-journey ticket at LRT-1 will be P20, up from P15, representing a 25-percent increase.
The DOTr also approved a boarding fee of P16.25 and a distance fare of P1.47 per kilometer.
It said the approved fare hike is lower than the LRMC’s original request. Based on the petition filed before the DOTr Rail Regulatory Unit, LRMC was seeking for P18.15 boarding fare plus P1.65 per kilometer distance fare, up from the current actual fare of P13.29 plus P1.21.
Under its concession agreement, LRMC’s notional fare was supposed to be adjusted on Aug. 1, 2016 and every second anniversary thereafter by an effective rate of five percent per annum or 10.25 percent per adjustment.
This means that the private operator LRMC is entitled to a 10-percent fare hike every two years.