Interaksyon, 29 January 2013
Darwin G. Amojelar

MANILA – Ayala Corp and unit Globe Telecom Inc have purchased bid documents for the P1.72 billion common ticketing system for Metro Manila’s overhead mass rail services, an executive from the Ayala group said on Tuesday.

“Both Globe and Ayala bought bid documents, but we are still determining the final structures,” Noel Eli B. Kintanar, Ayala head of business development and corporate strategy told reporters during a forum.

“Definitely, our objective is really to look at three sectors on the transportation side: it is the airport, toll roads and rail. But the other projects like ticketing, which is a support system, is also affiliated in the transport sector,” he added.

In 2006, Globe through unit G-Xchange Inc (GXI) launched G-Pass, an alternative way to enter the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) using a wireless radio frequency identification (RFID) chip.

G-Pass requires a stored value chip that is tapped on a sensor lodged at the gates of the MRT 3. The RFID-equipped chip can be reloaded using GCash.

The G-Pass service was phased out in 2009 because of problems in the platform.

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya had said 22 firms purchased bid documents for the unified ticketing system for the country’s three mass rail services.

The prequalification documents will be opened on February 14.

Similar to Hong Kong’s “Octopus” card, the Philippine version would allow daily commuters to use a single ticket when they ride the Light Rail Transit Lines 1 (LRT 1) and 2 (LRT 2), as well as MRT 3. The three rail services have a combined ridership of a million a day.

The proposed tap-and-go system, which the winning bidder will operate for 10 years, will also enhance fare collection efficiency by reducing leakage and fraud.

LRT 1 or the “green line” runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Roosevelt in Quezon City, while LRT 2 or the “blue line” runs from Santolan in Marikina to Recto in Manila. MRT 3 or the “yellow line” runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft in Pasay.

In the future, the system can be expanded to include other transport modes such as buses, toll roads and the Philippine National Railways (PNR).