MANILA — Hundreds of buses operating on the EDSA Busway now accept cashless payments through GCash, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced.

At the launch event held at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the new payment system provides commuters with a more convenient option in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to improve public transport services.

“Ito pong cashless payment ay isang malaking pamamaraan upang sa ganoon masasabi natin na indeed the travel of our commuters is now more convenient,” Lopez said.

Passengers can use the system by opening the GCash mobile app, selecting “scan-to-pay,” scanning the SoundPay QR code from the conductor, entering the fare, and clicking pay. Lopez assured that there will be no additional fees, and the 20 percent discount for students, persons with disability (PWDs), and seniors will still apply.

“Hindi lang po ang pagmomodernize ng ating mga pampublikong sasakyan ang kailangan. Higit sa lahat ang pag modernize ng sinasabi nating public service o passenger overall experience at ito ang binibigay ng GCash at ito rin ang binibigay talaga ng consortium sa busway,” he said.

GCash for Business head Jong Layug assured the system is secure, saying, “GCash invests a lot in building our security and top-of-the-line po itong ginagamit namin so hindi po ito maha-hack.”

BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan added that the cashless system will ensure fast and hassle-free fare payments, with funds going directly to the bus operator’s account.

“This is going to be convenient sa commuters kasi wala ng magiging problema sa pagbayad and it’s very fast. We pay the exact fare and ‘yung pamasahe natin dideretso na sya sa account ng operator,” Tangonan said.

The pilot program will run for one year, with the GCash SoundPay device currently installed on 260 buses along the EDSA Busway. The initiative is part of the Automatic Fare Collection System (AFCS) proof of concept, aimed at minimizing cash handling and streamlining fare transactions.