Modernisation of the Metro Manila fare collection system-
Metro Manila introduced a new fare collection system, known as beep cards, on its Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) line in October 2015. The new ticketing system not only seeks to improve the commuting experience, it is also the start of a culture of cashless transaction across industries.
Often compared to the Octopus card system in Hong Kong, this new system will save passengers the hassle of queuing up to buy tickets and allow seamless travel across different modes.
Beep cards
Tap-and-go beep is a reloadable contactless smart card used to pay rail-based rapid transit transportation fares in and around Metro Manila. It was first introduced on Manila’s Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) Legarda station in July 2015. Since then, it has been deployed on LRT-1 and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3). The new tap-and-go cards are contactless, utilising microchips instead of magnetic stripes. The technology requires users to simply tap the cards, and there will be no need to insert and slide them in the turnstile gates, saving time and making them less prone to wear and tear. For single-journey ticket (SJT) users, the process is similar to the old magnetic tickets.
Commuters may purchase the beep cards at the rail station ticket booth, the teller window or from ticket vending machines (TVMs) at any of the stations along LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3. The cards are available for PhP 100 with an initial store value of PhP 80 and can be recharged for any amount from PhP12 to PhP 10,000. A discounted fare card has been made available for senior citizens and people with disabilities. Beep cards also have safety features built into the system in case a passenger’s card gets lost or stolen. Card registration allows passengers to block lost or stolen cards through the website. They can then transfer the value of the lost card to the new card.
AF Payments Incorporated
AF Payments, a joint venture (JV) of Ayala Corporation Infrastructure, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), Globe Telecom, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Smart Communications and Manila Electric Company, is implementing the ticket modernisation work under a PhP 1.72 billion public-private partnership (PPP) contract signed in January 2014. The JV submitted a negative bid (bidder proposing to pay the government to do the project) of PhP 1.09 billion, offering to pay the amount in premiums over a 10-year concession period.
Commuter experience
LRT-1, LRT-2 and MRT-3 together serve almost 1.5 million passengers daily. The pilot run conducted in July 2015 on LRT-2 was a success. AF Payments had placed trained personnel in the stations to assist with buying and using the cards and passengers were also given the option to pre-purchase the beep cards. But its implementation on LRT-1 and MRT-3, with larger numbers of riders, met with a lot of disgruntled beep card users. In the busier stations, the machines ran out of cards and passengers had to queue up to buy new cards. Three months after the introduction of the beep cards, AF Payments had sold 600,000 cards as of October 6, which is much more than what the company had forecast and claimed that they were not ready for such a high demand.
In MRT-3, passengers complained that the introduction of the new card did nothing to add value to the old and inefficient trains.
The tap-and-go card does allow for faster movement, but there are no wider turnstile gates for persons with disabilities or people travelling with big bags to pass through.
Future plans
The new system is also expected to enhance fare collection efficiency by reducing leakage and fraud. At present, the beep cards are valid on only three train lines but there are plans to make beep cards available for other public transport systems including buses, taxis and the national railway and for purchasing goods and services from other merchant partners (fast food outlets, convenience stores, toll booths, parking, etc.). AF Payments is currently working on making the beep cards acceptable as payment for the use of toll roads, and expects to begin operation in 2016.
The at-grade stations and open-air set-up of the national railway makes installation of the system equipment such as turnstiles and TVMs more challenging than it is for the elevated and roofed LRT and MRT.
Conclusion
The Philippines’ mass transit system is taking one step forward into the future with the new unified ticketing system. The smart contactless technology adopted for Metro Manila is the first PPP project in transport in the country. It is said to rival those of its Asian neighbours, but the physical rails and trains of the network, and MRT-3 in particular, remain dilapidated. The new technology will only help in improving the overall commuting experience if train services and frequency improve too.
