P4.5-B unified transport fare system up for final review

In two years, commuters may be able to use their credit and debit cards to ride across different transportation systems under a unified fare collection scheme, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez told reporters recently that a P4.5-billion unified fare collection system project was now on its “final stage” of evaluation.

In three months, Chavez said they might be able to discuss the project with the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

He said that such payment integration might come to fruition in one and a half to two years.

The project is seen to ease travel for the commuting public as it is envisioned to allow any debit or credit card for payment when riding jeepneys, buses and trains, among others.

Financial institutions only need to enroll in the fare collection system so their clients may be able to use their cards for payment, Chavez explained.

“It’s an umbrella. You can maintain your own card,” he said, noting this would eliminate the need to carry several cards.

It is also expected to complement the Beep card, a stored value contactless card used for fare payments in Light Rail Transit (LRT 1), LRT 2 and Metro Rail Transit 3. It can also be used to ride point-to-point buses and buy from convenience store chain.

Beep is operated by AF Payments Inc., a consortium of the Ayala and First Pacific groups, a public-private partnership.

The government awarded the consortium the right to design and build the automated fare collection system in 2014. INQ