The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is facing a shortage of beep cards across mass rapid transit (MRT) stations in the Philippines. Supply of the contactless smart card has fallen short in face of a global shortage of computer chips.
The shortage is expected to continue till Q1 of 2023. The agency is considering maximising single-journey tickets while also exploring other contactless payment alternatives to meet commuter’s demands on the MRT and LRT lines.
Beep cards are provided by AF Payments Incorporated, a consortium between the Ayala Group and the First Pacific Group, for use on Metro Manila’s LRT1, LRT2 and MRT3 as well as bus networks and modernised jeepneys.
