THE BEEP CARD: BOOM OR DOOM?

Beep Card: Boom or Doom?

       The Light Rail Transit Authority and Metro Rail Transit recently activated the new ticketing system, popularly known as Beep. Since its activation, how was the performance of Beep so far?

       Beep is a reloadable smart card created to replace the old magnetic cards that is used for paying fares in rail transit transportation in Metro Manila. This card has two types, the single journey and the stored value card that can be purchased through the ticketing machines provided in the various train stations.

       Beep is also known as the "tap-and-go" card, because people would just tap the card on the turnstile machine and they can go. Take note that this is ONLY applicable to stored value cards, not the single journey ones. The single journey ones still follow the old-style way by inserting the card on the turnstile machine.

       Yes, LRT's new ticketing machines had been taken to the next level of technological advancement, but it received negative feedback from netizens, especially today.

       Beep machines were already placed in train stations way back summer of 2015. But, even these machines are still covered in plastic, it was already bashed by the public. (I have to admit this photo is true, but we all got a sliver of hope that this would be better than the old one.) (Credits to the owner of the photo.)

       But when it began operating on July, all of us wished to have the old ticketing system back.

       Here are the rules of the old ticketing system:
       1) Buy a magnetic card, single journey or stored value.
       2) Insert it in the turnstile machine and off you go.
       3) For stored value card holders, you get to have a free ride on the last remaining one peso or five peso amount in your card.

       For Beep (stored value card):
       1) Buy the card, and separately buy the load for your card.
       2) If someone ahead of you tapped the card on the turnstile machine, you have to wait for two seconds before you tap yours. You have to wait for the green arrow to appear, then you can tap and go.
       3) If your card doesn't reach the needed amount for your destination, you have to reload it first. Worse, if your card has enough amount for the next station, but not on the last station, you have to reload it before making your way out.
       4) Sorry, no more free ride for you.

       My hope for a better ticketing system suddenly vanished. I am just one of those commuters that is suffering the wrath of Beep everyday. We all know that MRT and LRT 1 always have this legendary crowd control and long lines of people buying tickets everyday. Long before Beep was announced, the ticketing machines were already closed and people have to line up to the Passenger's Assistance Office to purchase tickets. Due to these two or three long lines, there are times that you don't even know which of these leads to the PAO or the entrance to the station or to the turnstiles. Damn it.

The legendary Line of Doom at the Santolan Station LRT Line 2. (Aug. 24, 2015)

       In this time of the Beep card, the long lines have doubled and crowd controls were worse than the stampede at Ultra. Worse, most of the new turnstiles and ticket machines are not open for operations. What? Why?

       Let me tell you my story.

       The Santolan station in LRT 2 is jam packed that morning, and heat is circulating inside the station. I was running late for school and I still have to reload my Beep card. Out of the five or six machines on the right side of the station, only three of it were working.

       A man suddenly had an outburst while facing the 5th machine for it suddenly stopped operating. I was in line on the first machine, but after a few minutes, I had never felt any progress on getting nearer the machine. I'm starting to get irritated for I'll be late in class again. I watched an employee approach the 5th machine and the man, then tried fixing the machine, but with no luck. I looked behind me and saw a "snakes and ladders" kind of line that goes all the way out of the station. Not a good sight.

       The man began shouting, "Ang dami-dami nitong machine niyo bakit iilan lang ang gumagana?! Tapos pipila pa ako ng pagkahaba-haba dito sa kabila?!" A police officer told him to just fall in line on the Passenger's Assistance Office and get a card. Still, he has to fall in the long and winding line. Poor guy.

       When he left, a female employee that was standing beside the first machine grinned to her fellow employee and said, "Ano sabi sayo? Pabayaan mo siya magwala." Okay, I want to punch her face. Provide a better service first before you utter those words. Hey, we are your customers! Watch your manners!

       When I finally reloaded my card, I need to go back to find the end of the line for the turnstiles. I need to get away from the rude employee, or else I would have made an outburst too.

       Shit, I'm really late. I don't understand why the lines are too long, but upon seeing the six or seven turnstiles, only two are working. Wow, so much for a new ticketing system.

       Many people around me are already complaining, shouting, but Beep employees doesn't address their complaints. Why implement a new system when not all machines are available for operations? Or, why activate the machines if they're not yet ready?

       Another cause of delay are the people lining up for the turnstiles. Some people are tapping the single journey card or inserting the stored value card on the machines, and the employees would tell them the right way. It's taking time, for people are still used to the old ticketing system, and maybe love it still than adapting to this new one.

       On my other LRT journey story, I was in line with a woman complaining and shouting to the employee saying, "Nale-late lagi ang mga tao dito dahil sa sistema na to eh! Bago nga, di naman ginagamit yung iba! Para saan pala itong iba dito? Display? Design?!" The employee apologized but the woman kept on ranting, "Sorry kayo nang sorry, ayusin niyo ito!"

       Other passengers in line were silent, merely because silence means yes.

You and me, baby, we're stuck like glue.

       If the management of LRT and MRT thinks that Beep has managed to lessen the doomed lines in their train stations, well think again. Train fares have increased but the service is not enough. Aside from the complaints of people regarding Beep, most of the escalators aren't working and the trains' airconditioning is not open. I'll never forget the day when I went out from the train looking like a glazed doughnut. No matter how much I try to fan myself, the air that my fan gives is also hot. Worst idea.

       Just a simple suggestion to the authorities, kindly make the service worthwhile. Fix the escalators and open the airconditioning. Have all the turnstiles and machine work. If these are all working, then maybe Beep won't be a problem. Also, buy new trains! Where does our money go then? Are you saving it for a new set of trains aside from the new MRT prototype trains from China (jeez) or keeping it in your pockets? Why buy the ticketing system first but not assess the needs of people for more trains? You can control the crowd, yes, but not the growing population.

       And for the commuters, change is gradual. Sometimes we have no choice but to adapt to what is served for us. Today we complain, but tomorrow we may not. Though some of us may still don't know how to use Beep, we will learn in the process and get used to it soon.

       Soon sounds a long time, but let's just go with the flow, shall we?