A GROUP calling itself Riles, or Riles Laan sa Sambayanan, on Tuesday said Malacañang’s plan to increase fares in the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) systems is unjustifiable.

Riles spokesman Sammy Malunes said the majority of the commuters riding LRT and MRT trains are minimum-wage earners who could not afford the increase to P44 of the minimum fare.

“[Budget] Secretary Butch Abad is wrong in insisting the same old rhetoric that the public should shoulder the burden of sustaining the MRT. Train systems should be intended for social service, for the full benefit of the public and under full support by the government,” Malunes stressed.

He said the MRT and LRT lines are “earning enough” from an average of 1.2 million passengers every day, plus other incomes from such sources as billboards and other advertising space and the rental of stalls.  Income from such scheme should be enough to help sustain the operation of the LRT and MRT, Malunes added.

Instead of increasing the minimum fare, he said the Aquino administration should first investigate the onerous contracts, in which the investors, operators and lenders for the train project belong to same owners or group of companies, he said.

“This is what Butch Abad, Aquino’s Cabinet and the lawmakers should investigate first…instead of always contemplating on how much the fare hike will be as if this were the only choice,” Malunes said.

The current orientation of LRT and MRT as a service-oriented transportation system should be maintained, he said.

“The riding public as minimum-wage earners both from government and private institutions cannot afford such increase. It is an additional burden to us. The government should stop its plan to privatize the LRT and MRT,” he said.