Gov’t neglect tagged reason for rail woes

DAVAO CITY–Instead of searching for someone else to blame for the “woeful state” of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), the government should take full responsibility for what is ailing the rail system, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon said.

“The simple truth is this: the MRT has been breaking down because of government neglect,” Ridon said in a statement.

He said the government’s “culture of finger-pointing” has not done any good to address the issues bugging the operation of the MRT.

“The whole MRT system is old and dilapidated, from the trains to the rails due to government neglect. It should have been subjected to comprehensive rehabilitation a long time ago,” Ridon said.

He added that for the past five years, the Aquino administration had not done anything to fix the system.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, who hails from Mindanao, said he talked with experts who said light rail vehicles, like the ones used by MRT, are supposed to last 25 years. MRT, Zarate said, has been operating for only 15 years since 1999.

“There are many aspects to this case that have to be addressed immediately and I hope that they can properly be investigated during marathon hearings of the concerned House committees,” Zarate said. With a report by Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao