Group readies protest vs MRT fare hike
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
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MILITANT groups are preparing protest actions against the looming fare hike in the mass transit system, Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3).
Sammy Malunes, spokesman of the Riles Laan sa Sambayanan (Riles), said the planned fare increase, from P15 to P44, is "highly unjustifiable".
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"Secretary Florencio Butch Abad is wrong in insisting the same old rhetoric that the public should shoulder the burden of sustaining the MRT. Train systems should be intended for social service," said Malunes.
Instead of increasing the fares and cutting the subsidies, he noted the government should prove the allegedly anomalous contracts in the mass transit system.
The possible increase was tackled on Monday during the start of the deliberations of the Senate committee on finance on the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget for 2011.
Other groups such as Bayan Muna, League of Filipino Students (LFS), Anakbayan, and Anakpawis also launched a signature drive to dramatize their anger on the proposal.
Earlier, consumer watchdog, National Council for Commuter Protection (NCCP) urged the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to enforce its collection efforts against MRT Development Corporation (MRT Devco) before approving any hike in the mass transit system.
The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) said the proposal in the MRT and its counterpart, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) is inevitable to recover loses. (AH/Sunnex)
