MANILA, Philippines – Aside from reducing the maximum allowed passengers inside a train, the Light Rail Transit Administration (LRTA) will also limit the number of persons inside its stations to avoid coronavirus transmissions.
LRTA Administrator Reynaldo Berroya said on Thursday that this is still in line with the physical distancing measures placed once the LRT operations resume despite the ongoing health crisis.
“To effectively implement the social distancing, we will limit the number of passengers entering the station and boarding the train so please allot extra time for your journey,” Berroya said in a statement.
“We are fully prepared to face the ‘new normal’. We have taken several steps to ensure your safety and protection while using the LRT-2 system. These include the disinfection and sanitation of trains and station facilities and the implementation of social distancing and the ‘no mask, no entry’ policy,” he added.
The train systems around Metro Manila — LRT Line 1, Line 2, Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) — are slated to return to operations as the National Capital Region (NCR) is placed under a general community quarantine.
Only 160 persons would be allowed per train trip. Berroya did not mention how many persons would be given access to stations, although it might differ as some stations have a higher passenger capacity, like the Central Station in LRT-1 and the Recto Avenue Station in LRT-2.
As of now, NCR is still under a modified enhanced community quarantine, but local executives have proposed for the downgrading of this measure even if COVID-19 cases pile up.
Despite this assurance from LRTA, several commuters are still wary of traveling using public transportation modes like trains because of the risks. A report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer on March 12 showed that several regular commuters before the ECQ are now thinking twice about using trains even with the limitations.
As of now, health authorities said there are now 15,588 COVID-19 patients in the country due to 539 new cases, which is the highest increase recorded since the coronavirus reached the Philippines.
At least 921 of the patients have died while 3,598 have recovered.
Worldwide, there are now 5.705 million cases, with 355,934 people dead and 2.360 million patients-recoveries.