New contactless...

combination of manual and automated ticketing is being implemented at LRT 1 since late May.

According to LRT Authority (LRTA) Administrator Honorito Chaneco, they have issued paper tickets to southbound passengers due to the dismantling of the old turnstiles for magnetic tickets at all LRT 1 southbound stations.

In a statement, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes quoted sources within the LRTA that the government has so far lost million due to pilferage through the manual ticketing scheme.

"There have been reports that losses arising from ticket pilferage may amount to million, according to sources privy to the most recent LRTA board meeting of July 16. The LRTA board has a duty to explain this issue to the public and not sweep it under the rug. This reflects again on the management inefficiency of the LRTA leadership," Reyes said.

Chaneco however denied the allegation, urging Reyes to disclose his basis for citing such figure.

"There is no such amount. What is his basis for this?" Chaneco said. "Because we are using manual ticketing, the LRTA is extra vigilant to prevent pilferage."

The rail official assured the public that LRTA personnel who will be apprehended for pilferage will be dealt with accordingly.

Cashless For his part, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the new AFCS will usher in an era of cashless transaction in the Philippines.

“This tap-and-go ticketing system will not only improve the commuting experience for train riders, it will also usher in a culture of cashless transactions across different industries,” Abaya said.

The AFCS is the first transportation Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project of the Department of Transportation and Communications to be rolled out. The AF Consortium won the project after offering to pay government a billion negative bid.

AF Consortium is composed of Ayala Corp. Infrastructure, Globe Telecom, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Smart Communications, Manila Electric Co. and Metro Pacific Investment Corp. Meanwhile, AFPI is a joint venture of Ayala Corp. and First Pacific group. AFPI is a joint venture of the Ayala and First Pacific groups.

The AFCS project covers the design, development, installation and implementation of the new single-ticketing system; the provision of the contactless media; the maintenance of the system for a concession period of 10 years; and the operation of an AFCS central clearing house.

The government plans to eventually expand the AFCS system to cover other transport modes and systems, such as buses, and toll roads among others.