Palace: Number of MRT trains determined every day to ensure safety

The Metro Rail Transit (MRT 3) shall implement the new distance-base fare scheme effective January 4, 2015 as displayed on Saturday (January 3, 2015) at the MRT station in Pasay City. (PNA photo by Gil S. Calinga)

MANILA — Apologizing for the long queues that MRT commuters had to endure on Tuesday due to the lack of available trains, a Palace official explained that the number of trains deployed every day is determined on a daily basis to ensure the safety of passengers.

“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),” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said during a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday.

She further said that it was up to the Department of Transportation and Communications to study the proposal to regulate the number of passengers to prevent the frequent breakdown of the trains.

According to reports, only nine out of the 20 trains servicing the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) were operating as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday, with passenger queues stretching as far as a kilometer.

MRT General Manager Roman Buenafe said other trains were not used due to problems with air conditioning.

This prompted the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to deploy MMDA shuttle buses to offer free rides to affected commuters.