Poe to public: Give MRT until March to improve rail system

Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER.net / CATHY MIRANDA

Senator Grace Poe appealed to the public on Thursday to give the Department of Transportation (DOTr) until March to fulfill its promise of improved Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) services.

The DOTr has repeatedly promised better services for MRT riders by end of February as new spare parts for the ageing trains start to arrive this week.

READ: Once more, with feeling: DOTr promises improved MRT 3 operations

“Talagang malaki ang problema diyan at alam naman natin iyon, dumadating na ang mga parts,” Poe said in an interview in the Senate when told that the number of MRT trains running went down to only three at one point.

(The problem there is really big and we know that, spare parts are now arriving.)

“Binibigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang DOTr na ikabit iyang mga parts na iyan pero siyempre hindi naman pwedeng isaksak na sabay-sabay iyan. So realistically siguro sinasabi nila end of February, bigyan naman natin sila ng hanggang March.”

(We are giving the DOTr a chance to install these parts but of course it will not be done all at the same time. So realistically they are saying by end of February, but let’s give them until March.)

“Alam kong napakainit na ng ulo natin. Pero sa aming pagdinig, ilalabas na namin talaga yung mga may kasalanan nito kaya tayo nagka-abot abot sa ganito,” added Poe, who has been conducting hearings on the country’s transport services as chair of the Senate committee on public services.

(I know that we already hot-headed. But in our hearing, we really need to expose the ones who made a mistake that’s why we reached this point.)

The senator reiterated that the MRT-3 mess was a result of alleged corruption by some government officials.

“Pati yung mga Dalian trains, ako gusto ko na nga ipasauli yan e. Kailangan pang i-audit kasi kung isasauli natin at tayo ay magkakaso sa kanila, baka matalo pa tayo kung hindi makumpleto ang audit na sinasabi na talagang certifiable na hindi pwedeng gamitin ang mga ito,” Poe said.

(Even the Dalian trains, personally I want those units to be sent back. It just really needs some auditing when we are going to send them back and we will file a case against them, we may lose the case if the auditing is not finished. Auditing will certify the trains are not compatible to be used here.)

Poe was referring to the P3.8-billion worth of 48 MRT coaches from China’s Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co.

“Napakalungkot ng sitwasyon ng ating mga pasahero dahil dito at talagang dapat may magbayad at makulong na,” she added.

(Our passengers really expressed sadness on this and someone has to pay and go to jail. /jpv