Palace: LRT-1 fare hike may not be suspended

Malacañang stated on Monday that it may not be possible to suspend the scheduled fare hike for LRT-1 as doing so would violate the government's contract with private operator Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC).

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro explained during a press briefing that despite initial intentions to postpone the fare increase, its implementation has been delayed for a long time and failing to enforce it now could result in greater complications for commuters.

Starting April 2, the maximum fare for a single journey ticket on LRT-1 will rise from PHP45 to PHP55, while the minimum fare will increase from PHP15 to PHP20.

For stored value cards, the maximum fare will go up from PHP43 to PHP52 and the minimum fare from PHP15 to PHP16.

Various groups have appealed to the Office of the President to reverse the order granting the fare hike, citing that no financial necessity was presented for the increase and expressing concerns over private profits.