Press Release
May 13, 2015

GRACE POE ON THE CURRENT MRT SITUATION

I am dismayed with the series of technical glitches, system breakdowns and insufficient number of trains in the MRT-3 despite transport officials' promise to improve the services for the riding public.

We have sat through four long public hearings and requested the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to undertake certain actions for the betterment of the MRT-3 but up to now, more than three months have passed since the last hearing in February, not a single report was submitted to the Senate sub-committee on transportation showing compliance or status update to what we have agreed upon.

DOTC Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has acknowledged that maintenance provider APT Global has only been deploying eight to 10 trains instead of the required 20 trains during rush hours. My understanding is that the DOTC should be penalizing or sanctioning APT Global based on their contract. If indeed they are penalizing APT Global, it seems that such is not enough to deter APT Global from doing a lousy job. On top of that, the maintenance provider's contract with the DOTC has been extended several times.

Simple lang po ito: nang manghingi ng karagdagang pondo ang DOTC, binigyan sila. Nang magtaas sila ng pamasahe, nagkumahog ang ating mga kababayan upang makapagbayad. Ngunit patuloy ang mga aberya sa mga biyahe ng tren. Papaano maseserbisyuhan ng mababa pa sa sampung tren ang higit kalahating milyong pasahero araw-araw? Ang kawalan ng malasakit ng DOTC, MRT-3 at APT Global ay hindi na maaaring ipagkibit-balikat na lamang.

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