MRT

Bam to Transportation officials: Make life easier for MRT riders

While waiting for arrival of additional trains and implementation of other long-term plans for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), Sen. Bam Aquino asked the Department of Transportation to immediately provide commuters with protection against the elements, especially during this rainy season.

“I know that you are already doing the wagons, the trains but can we do something very short term, very low-hanging fruit. Puwede bang manigurado lang na walang mababasa habang rainy season na at habang naghihintay,” said Sen. Bam during the hearing of the Senate committee on public service on the proposal to grant President Duterte emergency powers to solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila.

“Basically, mga tolda, hindi naman ganun kamahal iyon, kakaunti lang ang mga stops,” he added.

Sen. Bam also calls on Transportation Secretary Art Tugade to take it a step further by providing commuters with free drinking water and Wi-Fi service as they wait for the next train to arrive.

 “I don’t think it will be much cost to government pero malaking bagay iyon sa mga naghihintay,” the senator said.

 Tugade said he will immediately order his men to ensure that commuters will be protected from the elements.

“Doon sa mga comfort ng mga nakapila, mayroon ding kaming mga proyekto na mamimili sila ng ticket sa ibang outlet, gaya ng tindahan at mall,” said Tugade.

 “Mayroon ring kaming kausap na mall, na may open area kung saan dadaan iyong may ticket na, they can hang around with the children,” he added.

BIDA KA!: Kalbaryo sa MRT

Mga Bida, tiyak na marami sa atin ang nakaranas nang maghintay ng ka-meeting sa isang mall ng 40 minuto o higit pa.

Dahil malamig ang paligid at maraming paglilibangan, hindi natin alintana ang pagtakbo ng oras habang hinihintay ang pagdating ng ating kausap.

Kabaligtaran nito ang sitwasyon ng libu-libong kataong nagtitiyagang pumila para lang makasakay sa MRT araw-araw.

Sa gitna ng mainit na araw o malakas na ulan, walang magawa ang kawawa nating mga kababayan kundi pumila upang mas mabilis na makarating sa kanilang paroroonan.

Sa pagtaya ng Light Rail Authority (LRA), nasa pagitan ng 30 hanggang 40 minuto ang hihintayin ng isang pasahero para makasakay sa MRT-3.

Kung mamalasin, mas matagal pa rito ang paghihintay kapag nagkaroon ng aberya, na madalas nangyayari ngayon dahil na rin sa kalumaan ng tren pati na rin ng sistema.

Sa kabila nito, tinitiis pa rin ng ating mga kababayan ang 40 minutong pagpila kaysa magkaugat na sa grabeng trapik sa EDSA.

Kung isasama nga ang 30 minutong biyahe sa oras ng paghihintay, kung galing sa Quezon City, nasa Makati o ‘di kaya’y Pasay ka na sa loob lang ng 70 minuto.

Mas mabilis pa rin ito kumpara sa dalawa hanggang tatlong oras na bubunuin kapag sumakay ka ng bus sa EDSA.

***

May pag-asa pang maibsan ang paghihirap ng ating mga kababayan na umaasa sa MRT sa kanilang pagbiyahe.

Sa pagdinig ng Senate Committee on Public Services kamakailan, sinabi ng isang LRA official na kung makukumpleto lang ang lahat ng kailangang rehabilitasyon, sampung minuto na lang ang hihintayin ng mga pasahero para makasakay.

Ang problema, dalawang taon bago makumpleto ang nasabing rehabilitasyon na mangangailangan ng P6.8 billion.

Sa nasabing rehabilitasyon, bibili ng mga bagong bagon, papalitan na ang mga depektibong riles at ilang mahahalagang bahagi sa sistema.

Ngunit mas tatagal pa ang paghihintay kung magtatagal pa ang alitan sa pagitan ng Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) at Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), ang pribadong kumpanya na nagpapatakbo sa MRT.

Ang sigalot sa pagitan ng DOTC at MRTC ay nagiging hadlang sa hangarin ng pamahalaan na mapaganda ang sistema ng MRT-3.

Araw-araw nang nagdurusa ang taumbayan sa pagpila ng apatnapung minuto, hindi katanggap-tanggap na paghintayin pa sila ng dalawang taon.

Kung may kailangang ayusin sa sistema, huwag na nating hintayin pa ang 2016 bago ito pondohan.

Ngayon pa lang, simulan na ang proseso para ito’y maayos na sa lalong madaling panahon.

Utang natin sa taumbayan ang mabigyan sila ng maayos at mabilis na sistema ng transportasyon.

 

First Published on Abante Online

SRN-841: Mrt-3 Malfunction

RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE APPROPRIATE SENATE COMMITTEES TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE FREQUENT ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY THE INEFFICIENT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE METRO RAIL TRANSIT LINE 3 (MRT-3) WITH THE END VIEW OF ENSURING THE SAFETY OF ITS PASSENGERS

Whereas, the government heavily subsidizes MRT-3 with a maximum fare set at Php 14.00 from the first station (North Edsa) to the last station (Edsa-Taft). The riding public considers the MRT -3 as one of the most affordable means of public transportation in Metro Manila;

Whereas, last 26 March 2014, the passengers onboard MRT-3 were injured when its driver failed to observe the red light status at the Guadalupe station. The train accelerated without getting clearance from the control center. The MRT -3 is equipped with an automatic train protection system, which kicked in and locked the brakes of the train;

Whereas, despite the previous accidents, the management of MRT issued a statement that MRT-3 remains a safe mode of transport in Metro Manila. In the past few months, there had been computer glitches, which paralyzed a significant portion of MRT -3. This resulted to disgruntled passengers who experience more than hour-long queues at the MRT-3 stations especially during rush hours. Based on news reports, the MRT-3 management admitted that they have been taking measures to prevent similar accidents although the management did not elaborate on the recurring mechanical problems;

Whereas, unresolved MRT problems continue to plague the riding public. On 13 August 2014, an MRT train got derailed along EDSA-Taft station after a coach crashed through the train barrier. Over 30 passengers were injured’ and numerous commuters were stranded because of this accident. Needless to state, the deterioration of the MRT poses grave danger not only to its passengers, but also the public in general;

Whereas, the Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC) has attested that there is fI need to have a qualified maintenance provider for the MRT system. There h~d also been calls to direct the DOTC to an independent technical audit of the MRT -3 system in order to have a financially and technically qualified maintenance provider with adequate experience to maintain the MRT-3 system;

Whereas, to provide the public a safe metro rail system and enhance the quality of service, there is indeed a need to have a technical audit of the MRT -3, which has to be independent in order to have an objective approach to the process. The different government agencies as well as the private sector should propose long-term solutions to the inefficient operations and maintenance of the MRT-3. A system of shared oversight responsibility should be put in place to ensure the balance of the public and industry interests;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved to direct the appropriate Senate Committees to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the frequent accidents caused by the inefficient operations and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) with the end view of ensuring the safety of its passengers.

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MRT 40-Minute Waiting Time Unacceptable – Sen. Bam

Senator Bam Aquino urged concerned government and private entities to work together to reduce the waiting time for thousands of commuters to ride the MRT-3 from 40 minutes to 10 minutes.

Aquino made this call after he was informed that the waiting time for passengers before they could alight the trains will go down by 75 percent if the proposed rehabilitation plan worth P6.8 billion for the MRT-3 is fully implemented.

“Let’s work together to achieve this 10-minute waiting time. We owe it to the thousands of commuting Filipinos to make life easier for them everyday,” Aquino said after the hearing of the Senate committee on public services on the MRT-3 accident that injured more than 30 people last Aug. 13.

Aquino expressed disappointment when he was informed that the rehabilitation plan could take up to two years with all the legal wrangling between the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC), a private entity.

Aquino branded the Metro Rail Transit-3 as a failed public-private partnership (PPP).

“This is not a good example of PPP, with what happened to our MRT,” Aquino stressed.

Aquino advised DOTC officials to learn from the MRT-3 experience to avoid problems in the future.

 “Can we say that we have learned from experience already and this would not happen again?” Sen. Bam asked DOTC officials, to which they replied ‘yes.’

At the same, the senator also urged the transportation officials to earmark the needed funds to rehabilitate a critical component that causes the MRT-3’s frequent malfunction at the soonest possible time.

The DOTC revealed the trains’ traction motors are the main cause of MRT breakdown as they have reached its limit of usage of 1.5 million kilometers.

 However, Aquino noticed in the presentation that the P94,500,000 fund needed for replacement of traction motors is earmarked in the 2016 budget.

“If this is the main reason why our trains have stopped, how come it wasn’t in the budget last year?” Aquino asked.

Abaya said he has already requested the Department of Budget and Management to include the needed funds in the supplemental budget for 2014.

“If it’s not successful, it will be included in the 2015 budget,” Abaya guaranteed. 

Pahayag ni Senador Bam Aquino sa Aksidente sa MRT

Nakakalungkot na nagkaroon ng aksidente ang isang MRT train ngayon, lalo na at may mga nasaktan sa pangyayari. Kailangang bigyan ng sapat na tulong at pag-aasikaso ang mga nasaktan. Siguraduhin nating maayos ang nangyaring aksidente upang wala nang masaktan pa at maibalik sa dating operations ang MRT ngayong gabi.

Magpapatawag ako ng imbestigasyon sa Senado upang umupo ang iba’t ibang ahensiya at mga grupong mula sa pribadong sektor at pag-usapan ang mga isyu sa MRT system. Ito na rin ang tamang larangan para sama-samang makalikha ng mga solusyon sa panandalian at pangmatagalang panahon.

Mahalaga ang MRT system para sa ating mga pasahero sa Metro Manila dahil ginagamit nila ito para makarating sa kanilang mga opisina, mga paaralan at mga tahanan. Hindi katanggap-tanggap na ang isa sa pinakamahalagang pampublikong sistemang transportasyon ay delikado para sa ating mga pasahero.

Huwag na nating hintayin ang mas malalang aksidente bago asikasuhin ang mga matagal nang dapat pansinin – mas mahigpit na sistema ng inspeksyon, rehabilitasyon at pagpalit ng mga bahagi ng mga tren at railway, at iba pa.

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