Transportation agencies gear up for holiday rush

BUSY TRACKS Two MRT trains are seen running in opposite directions along Edsa in Makati City. —FILE PHOTO

Glitch-free airports, extended train hours in the metro, and worry-free travel for people going to the provinces as well as in and out of the country during the holidays are assured by transportation officials.

Speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing on Wednesday, Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Planning and Project Development Timothy John Batan said the operating hours of Metro Manila’s trains have been extended while 200 Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel will be deployed on the Edsa busway.

“On the Edsa busway we are seeing increased ridership, so to ensure smooth traffic, orderly dispatching of buses and scheduling [of trips], our friends from the PCG will be helping to make travel time faster,” Batan said.

He added the Light Rail Transit 1, LRT 2, and Metro Rail Transit 3 operations have been extended by 45 minutes to one hour until New Year’s Day.

For LRT-1, the last train will leave Baclaran Station at 10:45 p.m., while the last train from FPJ (formerly Roosevelt) Station will leave at 11 p.m. For LRT-2, the last trains from Antipolo and Recto stations will leave at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., respectively.

For MRT-3, the last trains will leave North Avenue and Taft Avenue stations at 10:30 p.m. and 11:05 p.m., respectively.

Random checks

The Philippine National Railways will also have extended operating hours, with the last Tutuban-Alabang trip at 9:36 p.m. and the Alabang-Tutuban trip at 9:43 p.m.

To ensure the safety of provincial bus passengers, Batan said the Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will also conduct random checks on their vehicles and drivers.

The PCG will also be conducting pre-departure checks on vessels leaving seaports to ensure there will be no overloading of passengers and cargo.

Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) also assured airline passengers the technical glitch that grounded several flights on New Year’s Day would not occur again.

Bryan Co, general manager of Naia operator Miaa, told the Inquirer on Wednesday the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines has placed new equipment and redundancy to prevent the power outage that shut off the country’s airspace on Jan. 1.

READ: LTO preparing safety measures amid influx of travelers during Christmas