Poe rides MRT-3 at rush hour

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Grace Poe rode the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 during the morning rush hours yesterday just to see for herself what MRT-3 commuters experience on a daily basis.

Without fanfare, Poe, accompanied by two of her employees, queued up at around 8:20 a.m. at the North Avenue station, where the longest lines were recorded for this particular mass transit system.

In an interview, Poe said she wanted to take the train in order to have a better idea of what the actual situation is like on the MRT-3 before she conducts a hearing on the state of the country’s public transport system this Monday. 

In a related development, Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya said yesterday he is open to riding the MRT-3 during rush hour.

He issued the statement after being criticized for riding the train on Thursday afternoon, avoiding the morning and late afternoon rush hours.

“No problem at all with me,” Abaya said in a text message, but added that he will have to check his schedule since the morning rush hour coincides with taking his children to school.

A commuters’ group, the Riles Network, described Abaya’s train ride as a cheap gimmick since Abaya did not line up to get a ticket; chose Ortigas station, which is not as crowded as the North Avenue station; and rode in the first coach, which is meant for women, seniors and persons with disabilities.

Inconveniences

Her presence at the MRT station went mostly unnoticed until some people who recognized her started sending tweets about seeing her there. 

Poe said she waited in line from EDSA and it took her 40 minutes to get to the ticketing counter. She said the station’s escalators were not working.

When she got her single journey ticket, Poe said it got stuck in the slot for the turnstile and the guards had to open the contraption.

Poe said that she boarded the first coach. She noticed that the coach was not packed despite the large volume of passengers at the different stations. 

She later found out that some MRT officials “prevented passengers from rushing to the train because they knew I was inside. I know they meant well but I called their attention nicely and explained I need to experience the plight of our passengers.”

Poe noted that the train stalled at one of the stations, a common experience of the commuters who take the MRT-3 regularly.

She also noticed that the air-conditioning system inside the coach was very weak and that there was a portion where water was dripping from the ceiling.

Her entire trip from the North Avenue station to Taft Avenue in Pasay City took a total of one hour and 30 minutes, excluding the 40-minute queue to get on the train.

 Recommendations

Poe said the management of the MRT should construct covered walkways for the passengers queuing up at the North Avenue station or at the very least, purchase umbrellas for them to borrow while waiting to get into the station.

Poe noticed that there was a commuter help desk at the station but it was unmanned. She said that the MRT should make it a point to deploy supervisors to the stations every day so that they could see the problems that take place and immediately come up with ways to address these.

“I believe the MRT is not a hopeless situation. The government just has to step up its efforts in the proper maintenance of the trains and the station. Officials should take the MRT once in a while so they will know better how to improve the system,” Poe said. 

This Monday’s hearing would be conducted by the sub-committee on transportation of the Senate committee on public services. 

Poe said she invited officials from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Department of Transportation and Communications and representatives from the provincial bus operators and STAR columnists Jarius Bondoc and Boo Chanco. – With Rainier Allan Ronda