Department of Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya. Joseph Vidal/PRIB FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Despite technical glitches and continuous auditing by foreign experts, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will continue its regular operations, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya told Radyo Inquirer 990AM on Monday.
“No, not true. We categorically deny that,” he said when asked about reports that the MRT-3 would be halting its operations during weekends.
Abaya said the train has so far been performing well as Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) personnel continue to “shadow” or follow closely the actions of the current maintenance provider.
Experts from Hong Kong’s Mass Transit Railway (MTR) began their 52-day audit of the MRT late August while the DOTC has started the bidding process for the line’s three-year concession agreement.
“For the meantime yung MRT, LRT (Light Rail Transit) nagbuo rin ng team para i-shadow sila (current maintenance provider) just in case kayang magtake over ng pamahalaan kung sakali,” Abaya said.
(For the meantime, the MRT and the LRT formed a team to monitor the work of the current maintenance provider just in case the government decides to take over.)
Abaya said Renato San Jose, former director for operations, has been designated as officer-in-charge of the MRT.LRT administrator Honorito Chaneca was earlier assigned as OIC but Abaya said it would be difficult for him to manage three train lines.
“Si Administrator Chaneco tumutulong pa rin lalo na sa upgrade and capacity expansion (Administrator Chaneco continues to help in the upgrade and capacity expansion of the MRT),” he said.
Meanwhile, Abaya warned importers to take their cargo containers out of the port of Manila once cleared for transfer to help in port decongestion.
Starting Monday, cargo containers that have been cleared for transport but were left in the port for more than 30 days would be forcibly transferred to Subic.
A fine of P5,000 per container per day, he said, would be imposed starting October 1 for importers who would fail to pull out their cargo five days after they are cleared to go.
Abaya said the decongestion would take two weeks.