BACOLOD City – Western Visayas’ first Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) was launched at the Ceres North Terminal in Barangay Bata here, with the Bacolod to Victorias City route of the Vallacar Transit Inc. (VTI) buses piloting the route.
VTI president and chief executive officer Leo Rey Yanson and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Martin Delgra III led the launching yesterday.
Delgra said the AFCS will give comfort and convenience to the riding public since paying fare is “cashless, contactless and efficient.”
This aims to improve urban public transportation by providing payment option to the riding public, he stressed.
The Department of Transportation created this program to ensure “interoperability and mutual trust” among the passengers and the transportation companies, according to Delgra.
This is a more secure payment for the passengers, as they do not have to carry cash to pay for their fares, especially during the early mornings where spare change may be difficult to come by, he added.
For his part, Yanson said this is the first AFCS in their operation in Western Visayas.
The tap cards will be given for free but the load will be paid by the commuters in the terminal booth, he added.
Yanson emphasized the need for the continuous improvement of the company in terms of convenient, quality, and affordable service to the riding public as embodied in the legacy of his late father and Yanson Group of Bus Companies (YGBC) founder Ricardo Yanson Sr.
“We adhere to the modernization program of the transport sector under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte. The pandemic cannot stop us from delivering good service to our stakeholders”, Yanson said.
“In the future, we will give rebates to passengers or explore the possibility of loyalty award points to maximize the riding experience of our passengers,” he added./PN
