As if commuters didn’t have enough to worry about already, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has bared that it is trying to address a looming Beep card shortage right before the start of face-to-face classes.
In a statement, the agency said that the shortage is being caused by supply-chain problems in the global chip industry. According to undersecretary for railways Cesar Chaves, Beep card supply AF Payments will not be able to meet demand “despite its repeated and diligent coordination with card suppliers abroad.”
The DOTr also added the it is now finding alternatives to the popular contactless payment option. One temporary solution to the issue, the agency said, is to use single journey ticket (SJT) if you do not have a stored value card (SVC). The agency is also encouraging all commuters to take care of their SVCs if they already have one.
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“The DOTr has advised the public transport operators (PTOs) of rail lines to brace for an expected shortage of available beep cards due to shortage of worldwide production of chips, affecting the production, distribution, and sale of cards to rail line commuters,” the agency’s statement reads.
“As grantor, the DOTr has directed all PTOs to make the necessary adjustments in controlling the sale of SVCs in order to avoid untoward incidents and to allay fears of rail commuters, and ‘exert their best efforts in communicating the same to their rail commuters.’”
You heard it, folks. If you still have a Beep card in your possession, hold on to it tight. How big of an impact do you think this SVC shortage will have on rail line operations?
