QC gov’t orders study on advantages, disadvantages posed by MRT-7 project

The Quezon City government is carefully studying the pros and cons posed by the proposed Metro Rail Transit (MRT-7) project.

Mayor Herbert Bautista said he had ordered the conduct of a thorough study on the sectors likely to be affected by the proposal, including drivers and operators.

“We must also know how many drivers will be disenfranchised or how many will lose their means of [earning] a living first,” Bautista said in a statement at an executive staff meeting.

The 23-kilometer MRT-7 project will have 14 stations—North Avenue, Quezon Memorial Circle, University Avenue, Tandang Sora, Don Antonio, Batasan, Manggahan, Doña Imelda, Regalado Avenue, Mindanao Avenue, Quirino and Sacred Heart, all in Quezon City; Tala in Caloocan City; and Araneta in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Bautista said one of the factors the city government should consider before entering into a public-private partnership for the project should be the drivers who stand to be affected.

He added that the city government should be allowed to have a say on where the stations within the city would be located to promote Quezon City’s target growth areas.

The reason for this is that the city government has a better grasp and knowledge of the situation in the target areas, according to senior adviser to the mayor, Dr. Manuel Alba.

“Even on the proposal for the construction of the rail system, the city government should be given a free hand in [determining the area it would traverse] to give importance to the project’s purpose and target,” he said.

Alba added that it would be better to have the proposed rail system connect Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport or other airports to attract more tourists.