Double or triple MRT-3 maintenance checks - Nancy
...says daily train breakdowns contribute much to holiday woes

With failing trains, commuters face a less than merry Christmas.

Senator Nancy Binay today called on the Department of Transportation and the MRT-3 management to double the number of maintenance and inspections of its trains and tracks to ensure the passenger safety and stable operations in anticipation of the holiday rush.

According to Binay, it is important that the train systems undergo additional maintenance checks as passenger volume is expected to increase this season of Christmas.

"Naiintindihan ko ang posisyon ng DOTr na kailangan tumakbo ng mga tren, but the safety of the riding public should always take the front seat. Given the poor state of our mass transportation, especially the MRT, it will be difficult for our kababayans to spread holiday cheer as they face the horrors of their daily commute," said the senator.

The MRT-3 is notorious for its mishaps and faces technical glitches on a daily basis.

Aside from increasing maintenance and inspections of the MRT-3, Binay said that the DOTr and MRT-3 management should also look into beefing up security checks in all train stations to ensure the safety of train passengers.

Binay noted that a study was conducted by the Mass Transit Railway of Hong Kong in 2014 indicating that the MRT-3 system is at risk of derailment and the track condition requires immediate attention. The report likewise stressed the need to overhaul all its trains.

The government has recently terminated the maintenance contract of Busan Universal Rail Inc. due to its poor performance which has been blamed for the train system's glitches.

"I hope the DOTr was able to review the 2014 study of MTR-Hong Kong which says the state of the MRT-3 railway system is alarming. Ang kaso, APT Global, which was the maintenance operator then, ignored the Hong Kong report and reiterated that the MRT-3 rail system is safe," Binay added.

DOTr said it has now taken over the maintenance of the MRT-3, and has assured the public that it would improve the efficiency of the trains within "three to six months."

"Let's give DOTr some leeway to address all the problems of MRT-3. At kung tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang mga breakdown na maaaring mauwi sa aksidente, huwag na nating hintayin pa na may mangyaring di kanais-nais. Perhaps the DOTr may consider temporarily suspending its operations to ensure the safety of the riding public," Binay pointed out.