THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Thursday the installation of more cashless turnstiles in MRT-3 stations in Metro Manila.
The initiative aims to facilitate digital fare payments and aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to modernize public transport systems.
“This is in response to the president’s order to make it easier for passengers to pay for MRT rides using their mobile phones and credit or debit cards, and to reduce queues for beep cards and single journey tickets,” the DOTr said.
Two additional contactless turnstiles have been installed at the Ayala and Cubao stations, while all other MRT-3 stops now feature at least one cashless gate per entrance and exit, according to the DOTr. The department added that these cashless turnstiles would ease congestion at conventional ticket counters.
The expansion follows the July 25 launch of new cashless payment methods on the MRT-3, which now accepts GCash, Visa, and Mastercard, along with NFC-enabled mobile devices. The turnstiles operate without any additional fees for passengers.
In tandem with the payment system upgrade, the Department of Information and Communications Technology has also activated free public Wi-Fi at all MRT-3 stations. This allows commuters to access mobile payment apps even without data.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said that this initiative is part of a larger push to digitize commuter services and make daily travel more seamless and efficient. He also underscored the importance of inter-agency cooperation in implementing the project, citing support from the DICT, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Trade and Industry, Landbank, GCash, Visa, and KentKart.
The MRT-3, which runs along EDSA from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay, serves hundreds of thousands of passengers daily. The DOTr confirmed that similar cashless systems are being prepared for implementation on LRT-1 and LRT-2 in partnership with Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation.