Transport chief wants private firms to give contactless cards for free to commuters

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Arthur P. Tugade wants the reloadable card for fare payments at Metro Manila’s busway and railway systems be given for free to commuters in consideration of the coronavirus-prompted crisis, a department official said. Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran said in a phone message that Mr. Tugade had directed the concerned officials in the agency’s road and rail sectors to negotiate with the consortium behind the beep smart card, AF Payments, Inc., which is composed of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and Ayala Corp. “Dapat libre lang ang card (The card should be for free). We are still under quarantine measures. Workers who have just returned to work are the main users of the rail system and the EDSA Busway,” Mr. Tugade was quoted as saying in a statement. AF Payments, however, said it is selling the cards at cost. “Starting October 1, beep TM cards are being sold at cost,” the company said in a statement. “We would like to assure the commuters that we will continue working together with government agencies and transport stakeholders to find ways on how to serve the public that’s truly beneficial to all,” it added. MPIC is one of three Philippine subsidiaries of Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being PLDT, Inc. and Philex Mining Corp. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., maintains an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. —