Over 280,000 passengers avail MRT-3 free rides on Day 1

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 281,507 passengers got free rides on the MRT-3 on Monday, March 28, the first day of almost a month of free rides in the rail system, an official said Tuesday.

“Sa aming assessment matagumpay ‘yung ating unang araw ng libreng sakay,” MRT-3 director for operations Michael Capati said in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(In our assessment, the first day of free rides was successful.)

President Rodrigo Duterte has announced that MRT-3 will give free rides starting March 28 until April 30.

This is after the rehabilitation project was finished and inaugurated last week.

With the rehabilitated rail system, the MRT-3 has 18 to 22 operating trains from the previous 12 to 15. The train speed has also increased from 25 kilometers per hour to 60 kph and the interval between train arrivals has improved to eight to 10 minutes, Duterte said.

Capati said they are expecting around 300,000 to 400,000 passengers a day during the period of MRT-3 free rides.

EDV