This came after Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus disclosed that the LRT Authority Board, which decides on fare rate adjustments for LRT lines 1 and 2 and MRT 3, has decided to delay the fare increase in the wake of oil price increases and the subsequent hikes in the prices of basic goods and services.

"We have decided to delay it a little bit because of all these rises in prices of everything especially oil prices, even bus, jeep, and taxi fares," De Jesus said.

The DoTC chief was referring to the implementation of P40 flagdown rate for taxi cabs and the provisional setting of minimum fares for public utility jeepneys at P8, ordinary city bus at P10 and air-conditioned city buses at P12.

De Jesus said the government is sensitive to the plight of the commuting public “that is why the LRT-MRT fare hike will not push through in April.’’

"(The successive oil price and fare hikes) are factors that we have considered because (the government) doesn’t want to burden the people unnecessarily," he added.

It was earlier reported that the LRT-MRT fare hike is expected to be implemented next month after the proposed fare rate adjustment was formally transmitted to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) last month.

Although the LRTA has not imposed a deadline for the LTFRB to comment on the proposed LRT-MRT fare adjustment, LRTA spokesperson Atty. Hernando Cabrera said the agency is expected to come up with its recommendations this month.

He said that once the LTFRB comments on the proposed LRT-MRT fare adjustment and the LRTA Board of Directors moves to comply with the LTFRB’s recommendations, the government only needs to publish the LRTA’s final decision on the fare hike before implementing it.

Cabrera, who transmitted the official documents pertaining to the LRT-MRT fare hike to the LTFRB in his capacity as LRTA Board secretary, said the LRTA will publish the government’s final decision—to charge passengers of LRT lines 1 and 2 and MRT 3 P11 boarding fee plus additional P1 per succeeding kilometer covered—once a week for two weeks.

“The fare adjustment will be implemented thirty days after the last publication of the decision,” he said.

Since the LFTRB is not required by law to hold public hearings before dispensing any recommendation to the LRT-MRT fare hike, Cabrera said the mandatory consultation with the agency is expected to be over soon.

Kris Bayos, Manila Bulletin