2 bus operators partner with AF Payments for beep cards

MANILA, Philippines - Two more bus operators have partnered with AF Payments Inc. (AFPI) for the use of beep cards for fare collection.

The AFPI signed agreements with Froehlich Tours and HM Transport.

The partnership with Froehlich Tours will cover the point-to-point bus route between Trinoma and Makati, and SM North EDSA and SM Megamall.

The agreement with HM Transport will cover the airport loop route.

Last week, Citylink Coach Services Inc., which operates buses serving commuters to and from Megaworld Corp.’s townships such as Eastwood in Quezon City, Uptown Bonifacio and McKinley Hill in Taguig and Newport City in Pasay, announced that it entered into a deal with AFPI to accept beep cards for payments.

The partnerships with the bus operators would expand the use of beep cards, which are currently accepted at Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2 and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3.

LRT 1 covers Roosevelt station in Quezon City to Baclaran station in Pasay. LRT 2 runs from Santolan station in Pasig to Recto station in Manila.

The MRT 3 is from North Avenue station in Quezon City to Taft station in Pasay City.

“We are delighted to have forged partnerships with bus operators to offer the beep cards to their riders. This is a welcome development for commuters who have long wished for a convenient travel card within the metropolis,” AFPI president and chief executive officer Peter Maher said.

Partner bus operators are testing the new payment system.

“The 1.75 million beep cards in circulation will be accepted on buses displaying the beep acceptance mark,” Maher said.

The AFPI is hopeful other bus operators in Metro Manila would use the beep cards in order to save on operational expenses associated with ticket issuance and fare collection.

The beep cards replaced the old magnetic-based ticketing system of the country’s railways under the P1.72 billion Automatic Fare Collection System public-private partnership project won by the consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp.

Beep cards, which can be purchased for P20, can be reloaded by as much as P10,000 and are valid for four years.

Earlier, the AFPI said there are plans to expand the use of beep cards for tollways.