No need to reach for your purse or wallet to prepare your bus fare. Commuters taking the EDSA Busway may soon be able to pay with just a tap or a digital transaction, as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) targets the rollout of an automated fare collection system before the end of 2026.
The initiative aims to make daily commutes more convenient by allowing passengers to use stored-value cards and electronic wallets instead of relying solely on cash payments.
The planned rollout follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to provide more convenient payment options for public transportation passengers.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agency intends to conduct a pilot implementation of the automated fare collection system (AFCS) and has instructed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to coordinate with EDSA Busway operators and consortiums.
“Pinag-utos ko na rin po sa LTFRB na sana hanggang December, this time they [the operators] have to provide ‘yung tinatawag nating automatic fare collection system sa ating mga consortiums, sa ating mga operators po, ng Busway natin. They have to provide that, kailangan po natin ‘yun para mas mabilis ang pagbiyahe ng ating mga commuters,” Lopez said.
Under the proposed system, passengers could pay using stored-value cards similar to those used on railway lines, as well as electronic wallets such as GCash.
To accommodate commuters who need to reload their accounts, the DOTr is also considering the installation of kiosks at EDSA Busway stations.
Lopez emphasized that interoperability would be an important requirement, allowing different electronic wallets and digital payment platforms to operate within the same fare collection system.
“Ang hinihingi ko lang po sa kanila, dapat meron pa rin silang kiosks sa ating Busway station kung saan ‘yung ating mga commuters, puwede silang magpa-load, at kung saan puwede rin ‘yung GCash. Dapat ang susi dito, interoperable at saka talagang it can integrate ‘yung other payment platforms and other e-wallets,” he said.
Aside from providing more payment options, the automated system is intended to ensure that passengers are charged the exact fare for their trips.
The transportation department also assured commuters that the introduction of cashless payments would not lead to fare increases or additional convenience fees.
Automated fare collection systems are already being implemented on the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) and Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), where passengers can use Beep cards, credit and debit cards, electronic wallets, QR codes, and near-field communication (NFC)-enabled devices.
The planned EDSA Busway rollout would extend similar digital payment options to bus commuters traveling along one of Metro Manila's busiest transportation corridors.
The DOTr has yet to announce the specific schedule for the pilot implementation.
