The tap-and-go unified ticketing system achieved its Full System Acceptance (FSA) last December 16. This means that Operation Readiness Test (ORT) period for the contactless card has already passed the requirements set under the Minimum Performance Specification and Standards (MPSS).
The ORT period started last July 20 for LRT Line 2, August 5 for LRT Line 1 southbound, September 17 for LRT Line 1 northbound and MRT Line 3 on October 03.
The Automatic Fare Collection System is the first information technology Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Project of the Aquino administration. The government awarded the PHP 1.72 Billion PPP contract to the private partner, AF Payments. The concession agreement was signed last March 31, 2014.
This PPP project involves the decommissioning of the old-magnetic-based ticketing system and replacing the same with contactless-based smart card technology. The beep™ card (stored value card) was named after the sound produced when tapping the card during transaction.
Commuters transfer smoothly from one rail line to another using the beep card. As of December 14, over 1 million beep cards were sold in a span of four months.
