No unloading incidents as ridership peaks at MRT

MANILA, Philippines — There were no unloading incidents recorded at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) since last year, as it reached over 370,000 passengers on Monday.

In a statement yesterday, the railways management said MRT-3 “has been hitting more than 350,000 weekday ridership… for nine consecutive days now beginning May 25,” with the highest at 370,276 passengers recorded Monday.

No passenger unloading incidents have been recorded since 2021.

The last unloading incident was recorded on July 16, 2020, it added.

Five passenger unloading incidents were recorded in 2020, down from 28 incidents in 2019, 57 in 2018, 463 in 2017, 586 in 2016 and 417 in 2015.

“Proper maintenance, including the continuous testing of the performance of the fully rehabilitated subsystems of the MRT-3, made these improvements in the services of the rail line possible,” MRT-3 said in the statement.

Meanwhile, 20,082,702 passengers availed themselves of the free rides from March 28 to June 6, management said.

The free ride program is extended until June 30, resulting in an estimated P286-million revenue loss since it started March 28.

It will be up to the next administration if it wants to extend the program.

The rail line underwent rehabilitation, with improved train speed and arrival headways, before the pandemic hit in 2020.

The MRT-3 was last shut down from July 7 to 11, 2020 due to an outbreak of COVID-19 infections among its personnel. It also halted operations when Metro Manila was put under enhanced community quarantine from March 17 to May 15, 2020.