Still haven’t gotten a Beep card for your EDSA commute? No worries! The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced that they will no longer be requiring the use of Beep cards for the EDSA Busway system. This suspension was officially implemented on October 5, 2020.
This comes after their appeal to AF Payments Inc., the Beep card service provider, for the waiving of the card’s cost was formally declined.
In a Facebook post, the DOTr stated that they were “saddened” by this decision and they believe that “waiving the card cost would go a long way in helping alleviate the current financial strain being experienced by our commuters.”
The problem of the cost
This decision also comes after netizens voiced out their concerns over the mandatory use of Beep cards on EDSA. Getting a Beep card at bus stations would cost you Php180 (Php100 for the card itself and Php80 for load.) To add to that, there was also a maintaining balance of Php65.
While this policy was only in place for a few days, it already added a financial burden to people who commute every day, many of which are low-income workers with no other transportation options. This prompted organizations to speak against the policy.
What if I already bought a Beep card?
The DOTr said that the suspension will be in place until the issue is resolved and that they will be accepting cash payments in the meantime. However, for those who have already bought a Beep card, you can still use them to pay for your bus fare.
