Latest news with #DOTr
Malay Mail
34 minutes ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Philippines to sue AirAsia Move for ‘economic sabotage' over inflated airfares in typhoon-hit region
MANILA, June 4 — The Philippine government will be filing an economic sabotage case against AirAsia Move. This is after the online travel booking platform was found selling its flight tickets at a much higher rate than they should be. In a statement, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said AirAsia Move has taken advantage of the dire transport situation that was caused by the partial closure of the San Juanico Bridge which was implemented to prevent structural deterioration. As the 2.16km bridge is the primary link between Samar and Leyte islands, the restriction has a major effect on the economy in the region. Vince has highlighted the experience of Richard Gomez, the Leyte 4th District Representative, who has to pay almost PHP40,000 (~RM3,053) for a 1-way ticket from Tacloban to Manila. As a comparison, the actual air fare for the 1 hour 25 minutes is said to be around PHP12,000 (~RM916). The case will be filed by the country's Department of Transport (DOTr) and Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), while the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will also look into the pricing issue. At the same time, Vince has instructed the Philippine National Police's Anti-Cybercrime Group to shut down access to the AirAsia Move app for the time being. AirAsia Move: We didn't set the price manually Meanwhile, AirAsia Move has provided its side of the story through a statement by its CEO, Nadia Omer. The company said that the discrepancies in the airfare for certain routes, including domestic flights operated by the national carrier Philippine Airlines, were caused by a temporary data synchronisation issue with flight pricing partners. AirAsia Move also pointed out that the pricing discrepancy has also affected other booking platforms such as Agoda, and Traveloka. The company further insists it does not set or manipulate the airfares manually. The statement also highlighted that AirAsia Move has taken immediate action once it noticed the discrepancy by highlighting it to the 3rd party pricing provider. In addition to that, the platform has implemented several measures to prevent such incidents in the near future. — SoyaCincau
Filipino Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- Filipino Times
LRT, MRT to launch cashless fare payments starting July, says DOTr
Starting this July, commuters using the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) systems can pay their fares using debit cards, credit cards, or e-wallets, eliminating the need for Beep cards and reducing long queues, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Instead of purchasing and reloading stored-value Beep cards, passengers will be able to simply tap their phones or cards at the turnstiles to access the train platforms. DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon announced that the implementation of cashless turnstiles under the automatic fare collection (AFC) system will begin next month. 'This should be rolled out around July. We're bringing it to the MRT and other trains. Even credit cards will be accepted. You just tap your phone—no need to buy a Beep card,' he said. Dizon also expressed surprise that such a system hadn't been implemented earlier, noting that the technology for a cashless MRT has been ready for immediate deployment. He added that the initiative follows the directive of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., who had instructed the DOTr to create an open-loop payment system compatible with various financial platforms. Some commuters welcomed the change, saying that the cashless option would eliminate long lines, inconvenience, and potential health risks at train stations.
GMA Network
20 hours ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Common station, MRT-7 finished by 2027 — DOTr's Dizon
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday committed that the common station for LRT-1, MRT-3, and MRT-7 lines will open in 2027, coinciding with the start of the operation of MRT-7 which connects Metro Manila and Bulacan. Dizon said this prior to the approval of his ad interim appointment as secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) by the transportation committee of the Commission on Appointments (CA). 'Ang goal po natin is makahanap na tayo ng bagong gagawa at magtatapos ng istasyon ng common station ngayong 2025 at ang timeline natin is kasabay sana ng opening ng MRT-7 ay tapos na rin ang common station, para by 2027 tapos na po finally,' he said. (Our goal is to find a new contractor to build and finish the common station by 2025. Our timeline is to finish the common station at the same time as the opening of the MRT-7, so that by 2027 it will finally be finished.) 'Parang 15 years na itong mga proyektong ito between common station, MRT-7, at ang koneksyon ng LRT-1 at MRT-3. Mahigit isang dekada na ito, halos 15 years na. Tingin ko, within the term of the President, lahat ng prokeytong ito ay matatapos na at operational,' he added. (These projects—the common station, MRT-7, and the connection of LRT-1 and MRT-3—have been going on for 15 years. It's been more than a decade, almost 15 years. I think, within the term of the President, all these projects will be completed and operational.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Cashless transactions in LRT, MRT to start in July —DOTr
Passengers can use debit cards, credit cards, and e-wallets to pay the fare in Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) starting July, eliminating long lines at train stations, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said. Instead of buying and reloading Beep cards or stored-value smart cards used in LRT and MRT, passengers can simply tap their phones or cards at the turnstile upon their entry to the railway platform. DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said the department will start deploying cashless turnstiles for the automatic fare collection (AFC) system next month. 'Mga bandang July ito, if I'm not mistaken. I-implement na natin sa MRT at sa ibang mga tren natin. Alam ko pati credit card puwede na. Ita-tap mo na lang 'yung phone mo. Hindi ka na kailangan bumili ng Beep,' he said. (This will be around July, if I'm not mistaken. We will implement it on the MRT and on our other trains. I know that credit cards can also be used. Just tap your phone. You don't need to buy a Beep card.) 'Nagtaka nga ako bakit hindi ito kaagad na-implement, 'yun naman pala kaya i-implement kaagad-agad itong cashless options sa MRT,' he added. (I was wondering why it wasn't implemented right away, the cashless options on the MRT can be implemented right away actually.) President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. earlier ordered the DOTr to develop an open-loop payment system that is integrated with multiple financial platforms, Dizon said. According to a report of EJ Gomez on GMA Integrated News' Unang Balita on Tuesday, some passengers said the cashless transaction in LRT and MRT is good news for them. The passengers said the move will eradicate long lines, hassles, and health risks. —Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
DOTr eyes raps, shutdown of site charging up to P40k for one-way air fare
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is seeking the filing of charges and closure of an online booking site that charges almost P40,000 for one-way plane tickets. 'I've asked the [Philippine National Police] to take it down, PNP Cybercrime to take down this website today,' Dizon said in a press briefing. 'I have also asked, apart from the cease and desist order issued by the [Civil Aeronautics Board] last May 26, the CAB and the DOTr Aviation Group… to immediately file… a criminal economic sabotage case,' he added. According to Dizon, Leyte Representative Richard Gomez informed the DOTr that he and his wife bought two one-way tickets from Tacloban to Manila for P77,704 through AirAsia Move, an alleged Malaysian-based travel platform. In another incident, two one-way tickets were bought for P50,000. Dizon said that a one-way ticket bought from the site of another airline only cost around P12,000. 'So, clearly, this is just absurd, no? And really bordering— well, not bordering, this is actually criminal. Criminal na itong ginagawa ng AirAsia Move na ito (this action of AirAsia Move is really criminal),' he said. The DOTr chief said that AirAsia Move asserted its independence in response to the cease and desist order previously issued by CAB. 'Sumagot po si AirAsia Move. Ang sinabi nila, okay, we will try our best… to comply pero hindi naman kami under sa inyo, eh. 'Yun ang last paragraph nila,' Dizon said. (AirAsia Move responded and said, 'Okay, we will try our best… to comply, but we're not under your jurisdiction.' That was their last paragraph.) 'We respectfully submit [that] the CAB's jurisdiction under RA 776 applies to air carriers, not foreign-based [online travel agencies],' he added, citing the response of AirAsia Move. Dizon said this was 'unacceptable,' calling on the public to avoid buying tickets from the online platform. Meanwhile, he said that airline AirAsia does not have anything to do with the platform. 'They're affiliated but I don't think AirAsia, in fairness to AirAsia Philippines, no, the airline… I don't think they have anything to do with this,' Dizon. He said he has also instructed CAB to investigate other online platforms that may be doing the same thing. San Juanico rehab In a statement Monday, the Office of Civil Defense said it has asked CAB and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, through a letter to Transportation Secretary Dizon, to probe the reported increases in passenger and cargo air fares in Eastern Visayas amid the restrictions on San Juanico Bridge. "We respectfully appeal to the CAB and the CAAP to immediately look into this matter and implement appropriate legal measures to thwart or regulate these purported air fare and cargo fare increases," OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said. Among the trips with reported higher air fares are those heading to Tacloban and Ormoc City in Leyte as well as to Catarman in Northern Samar. The OCD suggested increasing the number of flights in Ormoc, Calbayog, Catarman, and Tacloban while the San Juanico Bridge is being rehabilitated. To complement the proposed increase in flights, the OCD also suggested issuing provisional permits and certificates of public convenience for public transport and movement of goods. The OCD hopes that these measures can be quickly facilitated by the Philippine Ports Authority, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and Maritime Industry Authority. A three-ton load limit has been imposed on San Juanico Bridge since May 15 after an assessment showed that there are significant structural compromises to the bridge. Only the middle portion of the bridge is open for motorists. Completed in 1972, San Juanico Bridge is the only permanent land link between the islands of Samar and Leyte. It is a vital artery of the Maharlika Highway that connects Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the restriction halted the passage of heavy cargo vehicles. This severely disrupted the transport of food, medicine, agricultural products, construction materials, and other essential commodities across the region. According to the NDRRMC, the restrictions on San Juanico Bridge could result in up to P600 million monthly economic losses as 14,000 vehicles cross the infrastructure daily. Around P7 billion is needed for the repair and rehabilitation of San Juanico Bridge amid concerns on its structural integrity, the NDRRMC said. The NDRRMC has recommended to President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to declare a state of calamity in the entire region of Eastern Visayas. Currently, Tacloban City and Samar Province are under a state of emergency. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
