The MRT train got derailed at the end of the station on Taft Avenue in Pasay City, Wednesday afternoon. RICHARD REYES
MANILA, Philippines – Three administration senators are pushing for an investigation on the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) accident Wednesday that injured at least 38 people.
Senator Sonny Angara on Thursday filed a resolution, directing the appropriate committee to investigate the recent incident involving the MRT 3 and to “re-examine” the current public and mass transport system in the country.
“Such incident was actually an accident-in-waiting considering MRT 3 currently operates double its original capacity at 500,000 passengers a day when it was originally designed for only 350,000, and warnings from experts on the safety and maintenance of the MRT, particularly on ‘metal fatigue’ were made earlier this year,” Angara, chairman of the committee on ways and means, said in a statement.
In his Senate Resolution No. 839, Angara identified recent malfunctions or incidents involving the MRT 3 since 2012, including a short-circuit that caused fire in one MRT coach at Kamuning Station in November 2012; a shutdown of MRT operations in October 2013; and the abrupt stop of an MRT coach at the Ayala station causing at least 10 commuters to get hurt; among others.
“The litany of incidents highlights the need to look into the operation-worthiness of the MRT to ensure the safety and welfare of riding public that bear daily long queues just to ply through the metro,” he said.
“Such re-examination should include all existing and planned inter-city mass transit systems in Metro Manila and the country in the context of establishing a comprehensive, integrated, coordinated, environment-friendly, sustainable and long-term transport network,” the senator added.
Angara said government institutional setup may also be re-examined to address the weak coordination, regulation and oversight for public transportation and mass transit policies and plans.
He also stressed the urgent need to institute policy reforms to address the needs of the country’s public and mass transport system in order to sustain the Philippines’ exemplary economic performance as manifested in unprecedented GDP growth.
“An efficient mass transit system, particularly in a highly-urbanized megapolis such as the Metro Manila, is a key component and a lever for a sustained economic growth in any growing nation,” he said.
“We must look into this MRT 3 incident, as well as the country’s rail system and transport network policy, with the view of instituting policy reforms to address the country’s infrastructure needs in the next 50 years,” the senator added.
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said he would also file a resolution, seeking a “deeper” probe on the accident. He blamed it to the “poor maintenance” of MRT 3.
He said the Senate should look into operations of MRT 3, which he said had drawn sharp rebuke from the riding public because of the long queues during rush hours in addition to problems in computer glitches and loss of power.
“Why is this happening? What must be done? Let’s probe the existing maintenance contract of MRT 3, and everything else will follow,” Pimentel said in a statement on Thursday.
He noted that in the last three years, no single bidding for maintenance of the overused units was conducted.
Because of the failure of the MRT management to update its maintenance service, Pimentel said the MRT 3 management was forced to go on a month-to-month procurement of capital spares and consumables that led to the “cannibalization” of some parts of “downtrains”.
“Indecisiveness. The management could not decide to whom to give the maintenance contract for three years,” he said, adding that some Malacañang officials were also indecisive on whom to trust the management of the three train lines.
“The top level officials of MRT are all in acting status,” he pointed out.
Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino III also wants an investigation on the MRT accident.
“It is unfortunate that an MRT train met an accident yesterday, injuring several passengers,” Aquino said in a separate statement.
“We need to give the best possible assistance to the injured. Let us ensure that the accident would be addressed immediately so that no more passengers would be at risk and operations would normalize soon,” he said.
The senator then called for an investigation on the accident “to gather all the important stakeholders involved to talk about the issues that are surrounding the MRT system.”
“This is the best avenue to collaboratively find the best solutions in the short-term and in the long-term,” said Aquino.
“The MRT is crucial for our everyday commuters in Metro Manila as they use it to go to their offices, schools and to their homes. It is not acceptable that one of our main public transport systems has been at risk.”
“Let us not wait for a major accident to happen before we address the long overdue problems – a more rigid inspection system, the rehabilitation, maintenance and replacement of parts of the trains and railway, and the like,” he further said.
Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, used Wednesday’s incident to push for the passage of her bill that seeks to ensure the safety of commuters and passengers throughout the country.
“The recent string of transportation-related accidents and misfortunes calls for our immediate attention to find solutions. It is the responsibility of the government to provide commuters a safe, efficient, affordable and accessible public transport service,” Poe said in another statement.
Poe said Senate Bill 2266, which she filed, calls for the creation of a National Transportation Safety Board that will investigate and report on air, road, and sea accidents as well as those involving pipeline, railroad, and tracked vehicles.
The creation of a safety board, she said, has become necessary “due to high incidence of transportation-related accidents not to mention the low quality of transport service, high operation costs and inefficient transit system.”
The senator then cited a series of road accidents, including a bus in Benguet that fell off a ravine last June, killing 13 and injuring 7 people, and another bus that skidded off the southbound lane of the Skyway, killing at least 18 people.
To avoid a repeat of such incidents, Poe said there must be a single public entity that should address the root cause of this “disturbing trend” and manage solutions to ensure the safety of commuters.
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