Palace ‘sorry’ for MRT troubles, says safety a priority

Katerina Francisco

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Palace ‘sorry’ for MRT troubles, says safety a priority
From the 20 trains that are usually deployed during the morning rush hour, only 7 to 9 were operational lately to service 600,000 commuters daily

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Wednesday, June 3, apologized for the long lines and the lack of available trains that plague thousands of commuters of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT3).

To ensure the safety of passengers, only trains that are deemed fit to operate are deployed to service the 600,000 passengers who ride the service every day, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

“If you notice that day to day, the number of trains that are servicing the commuters do vary, and that is because on a daily basis it has to be determined if they are safe, if they will carry all the passengers from point A to point B. And we would really like to maintain the safety [of the passengers],” she added.

The number of operational trains of the MRT3 has dropped in recent days due to various technical glitches. From the 20 trains that are usually deployed during the morning rush hour, only 7 were operational on Monday, affecting hundreds of passengers on the first day of opening of classes.

On Tuesday, only 9 trains were operational during the morning rush hour, triggering long queues that reached as far as a kilometer.

MRT3 general manager Roman Buenafe blamed problems with the airconditioning units, with the defective trains sent back to the depot for repairs.

Responding to a proposal that the number of MRT3 passengers be regulated to prevent the breakdown of the trains, Valte said it is up to the transportation department to decide.

To help stranded commuters, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said it will deploy shuttle buses offering free rides to affected passengers. – Rappler.com

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