They should commute!

Edison Bong Nebrija of MMDA posted this on Twitter last week: “As I was passing the busway last night at around 10 p.m., I passed a bus overloaded with passengers. I radioed the base to apprehend the said bus. When are we going to learn? COVID pa more!”

A commuter responded: “Sir 10 p.m. to midnight po to be honest sobrang hirap po sumakay. Kung tatanungin nyo po yan mga yan di din po nila gusto yan pero dahil kulang po ang transpo at wala ng masakyan we take risk po makauwi lang… minsan nilalakad ko mula Cubao to Marikina dahil wala na transpo. Ang hirap pag wala na LRT. Instead na sitahin mo sana intindihin nyo po muna. And try nyo lumagay sa kalagayan ng commuter.”

Oo nga naman. Of course, the MMDA official can say the lack of transpo is not his responsibility, but DOTr’s. I realized that so I sent a screenshot of this exchange to DOTr Sec Art Tugade via Viber. I asked him if it is possible to increase the number of buses to meet needs at all hours.

Tugade’s response: “We can. We have been consistently increasing routes kaya lang po may capacity limitation ang mga units dahil sa social distancing…”

Not sure Sec. Art captured the urgency and desperation of commuters who have to crowd buses or walk because there are not enough units on the road towards midnight. Many of our workers work at night.

All along I thought with the new system of service contracting or buses being paid by the government to provide the service, they are able to field enough units to cover the needs of commuters, specially towards midnight. Apparently, there is still a problem that Tugade must fix.

Following COVID safety rules like social distancing is one thing. Providing enough units so social distancing is possible is another. Sec Art should have someone out in the streets monitoring commuter needs all the time. Providing public transportation, even towards midnight, is his responsibility.

Actually, on the Cubao to Marikina corridor, things would not be so bad if LRT2 is running. The damage caused by a fire that destroyed one of its stations over a year ago has not yet been repaired.

Indeed, one of the questions I asked Sec. Art in my Zoom interview with him last week was the status of the commuter rail projects. There is good news, bad news,  and par for the course news. Here is what’s happening with the more important projects:

On the LRT-1 Cavite Extension from Baclaran (Paranaque) – Niog, Bacoor (Cavite), capacity will cut travel time from Baclaran to Bacoor from one hour 10 minutes down to 25 minutes.

They are now manufacturing 120 light rail vehicles or LRVs in Spain and Mexico and the overall project completion rate as of Nov. 15 is 50.54 percent. They hope to partially operate by the fourth quarter of 2021 and full operations by first quarter of 2024.

On my favorite four-kilometer LRT-2 East extension from Santolan (Pasig) to Masinag (Antipolo), overall project completion rate as of Nov. 15: 93.78 percent. Full operation set for April 2021.

On the LRT-2 West extension from Recto (Manila) to Pier 4 (Manila), they are still preparing for procurement of the design-build contractor for civil works, rolling stock, and electromechanical systems (EMS). Overall project completion rate as of Nov. 15: 8.57 percent. Full operation is promised by fourth quarter of 2023.

I still think they should further extend LRT2 from Masinag to Cogeo, where a lot of low salaried government employees were given housing. They and their children who study in Manila can benefit. Mukhang mahina yung congressman ng Antipolo.

On the MRT-3 Rehabilitation, Tugade has done what Mar Roxas and Jun Abaya couldn’t do, and the job is almost done too. The rehabilitation of MRT3 involves the restoration of LRVs, rail and tracks, signaling system, overhead catenary system (OCS), communications system, and depot and station equipment.

They have, in fact, managed to increase train speed from 30 kph to 60 kph, decrease headway from nine minutes to 3.5 minutes.

There is still ongoing restoration and general overhauling of LRVs and other systems and equipment. The overall project completion rate as of Nov. 15, is still just at 56.22 percent.

But they completed rail replacement works last September. They hope to complete total rehab by July 2021.

There is a proposed MRT-4 from N. Domingo (Quezon City) – Taytay (Rizal). It will provide an efficient connection between the densely populated cities in Metro Manila (Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, and Pasig) and the neighboring municipalities of Rizal (Cainta and Taytay).

But it is in its early stages. They are in the process of procuring a detailed engineering design consultant. They say it will have full operation by 2025. I have my doubts given that LRT2’s four-kilometer extension, with no right of way problem, is now 10 years in the making.

MRT-7 from North Ave. (Quezon City) to San Jose del Monte (Bulacan) is now under construction. It is a San Miguel project and is now delayed by a series of ROW problems. ROW is the government’s responsibility.

Its overall project completion rate as of Nov. 15: 59.47 percent. They are looking at partial operations by fourth quarter of 2021 and full operations by 2022.

My column this Wednesday will cover the other rail projects on DOTr’s projects list.

It is good to know that at least, Tugade seems more determined to deliver on the rail projects than his predecessor, Jun Abaya.

The job of catching up is daunting, but at least Tugade is moving as fast as the government system allows him to. But he needs to have the heart of a commuter for him to understand the urgency of providing relief.

Having come from humble means, that shouldn’t be difficult for Tugade to do.

Finally, some good news about Skyway Stage 3 from Makati to Balintawak. Ramon Ang texted me that “Dec. 29 9 a.m. opening with street lights, lane marking and non-slip surface na.” Did I get it right that one month toll free?

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco