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MANILA, Philippines – To ease traffic due to two major road projects, the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system and the Philippine National Railways (PNR) would extend its operating hours, the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) said on Thursday.
From February 24 until March 7, MRT-3 operations will start at 4:30 a.m. from the North Avenue station and 5:00am from the Taft Avenue station, the DOTC said in their website.
Meanwhile, from March 10 to 21, MRT operations will run up to 10:30pm from the North Avenue station and 11:00pm from the Taft Avenue station, on top of the earlier opening hours.
Presently, the rail system operations run from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
“This is part of our program to mitigate the traffic situation,” DOTC Spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal said in a statement.
Sagcal said the four-week test run was meant to “monitor how much passengers are willing to alter their riding habits by commuting earlier in the morning or later in the evening.”
“We will also see whether this will encourage motorists to take the train instead of their cars,” he added.
Meanwhile, the DOTC in its Twitter account also announced the extension of PNR operation from the current 5 a.m to 7 p.m., to an extended 4 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The DOTC made the announcement amid fears that the traffic situation would worsen due to the construction of the Skyway project to connect South Luzon Expressway on Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City, and the construction of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway Phase 2 to the Entertainment City gambling hub.
Regularizing extension of hours mulled
The MRT-3, after the four-week testing period, will then recommend to the DOTC on whether the extension can be made regular.
This will be based on the trial’s impact on the commuters, daily train maintenance requirements, and additional costs of operation.
“Our limitations are on maintenance and costs. For maintenance, the coaches have to be checked every night to ensure safety. It seems that we will be able to shorten the turnover process without compromising actual maintenance hours,” Sagcal said.
“As for costs, the testing period will allow us to project how much more we need to spend to make it sustainable over time,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) is still finalizing options through which LRT Lines 1 and 2 can accommodate more commuters, said the DOTC.
Around 650,000 commuters ride the MRT on a daily basis.
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