Manila: Over 50 international companies participated in a market sounding event for the Philippine Automated Fare Collection System (PAFCS) held recently by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In a statement on Monday, Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the event was in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s order to modernize the country's public transportation infrastructure and deliver convenient and hassle-free transactions for commuters. 'Millions of Filipinos commute every day, and DOTr is fully committed to building a fare collection system that is seamless, secure, and future-ready that every commuter can rely on,' Lopez said.
According to Philippines News Agency, the concession for the PAFCS is eyed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project that will be part of the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP), in addition to a broader intelligent transport systems (ITS) contract. DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said the high turnout of private firms reflects investor confidence in the Philippines during the market sounding event. 'Over fifty companies in a market sounding are very encouraging, and we look forward to a successful tender and award of this PAFCS concession,' Batan said.
These international companies come from a wide range of countries, including Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Trkiye, Pakistan, the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland. Local companies were also present at the event, which sought to get prospective bidders to be more familiar with the project.
The PAFCS project aims to establish an interoperable and secure fare collection system that will cover rail, bus, and other modes of transport in the Philippines. The DOTr is looking for a system that will improve passenger experience while ensuring efficiency in fare collection across different public transit systems. The PAFCS is envisioned to support multiple fare media, including cards, QR codes, mobile phones, and other smart devices, and allow commuters to use a single, seamless payment option across different modes of transport.
On the other hand, the DPTMP is a pilot project towards modernizing and establishing a safe, reliable, and efficient public transport system in Davao, funded through a loan from the ADB.
