LRMC, Bayad Center partner to roll out bills payment lanes at LRT1 stations

Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), private operator of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), and outsourced payment firm Bayad Center have partnered to put up bills payment lanes inside the railway line’s ticket stations.

In a statement on Friday, LRMC said it inked a partnership with Bayad Center “to provide a convenient and reliable service to passengers traveling through the LRT1 network.”

The partnership was made official at a virtual signing ceremony for a memorandum of agreement on November 18, 2020.

“Under this partnership, bills payment is made easier and more accessible for LRT1 commuters with over 300 types of bills accepted from utilities, telecommunications and cable, government contributions and loan payments, travel, and airline ticketing companies,” the company said.

It said a ticket booth will be transformed into a Bayad Center lane where commuters can pay their bills.

The partnership will begin with Balintawak Station, wherein a bill payment lane called “Bayad Center sa LRT1” will be open to the public by December 2020.

Bill payments can be made daily from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and only cash payments will be accepted for the meantime.

Future plans include the roll-out of “Bayad Center sa LRT1” in other major stations such as EDSA, Gil Puyat, and Doroteo Jose, as well as stations close to residential areas.

“We, at LRMC, are in the business of not only bringing people to their destinations, but also fulfilling our service promise of knowing what people need and connecting them to their needs through a reliable, comfortable, and convenient transport system. We are glad to finally launch this initiative as it is in line with our goal to make the LRT-1 network a one-stop shop for our commuters’ needs—not just their need to travel through Metro Manila,” said LRMC president and CEO Juan Alfonso.

“As we add more and more payment touchpoints for the public, this ultimately helps by lessening one’s visit to several establishments for errands, minimizing the risk of virus contact. At this point, health is of utmost importance. We are glad that LRMC is one with us in this initiative of providing convenience and protection, especially in these trying times. We look forward to scaling this up in all our train stations soon, as Bayad Center remains committed to making payments easier and safe for our hardworking Filipinos,” said Lawrence Ferrer, CEO and president of Bayad Center. -MDM, GMA News