Transport official unhappy with MRT 3 maintainer

A transportation official is once again thinking of terminating the government’s contract with the maintenance provider of the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT 3) for failing to ensure the safety and reliability of the country’s busiest train system.

For the second time, Cesar Chavez, the transport undersecretary for rails, raised the possibility of cutting short the P3.8-billion contract with Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) set to expire in 2019.

He said that the “numerous, repeated and unprecedented train derailments caused by poor maintenance” have affected the safety and reliability of MRT 3.

From January 2016 to July this year, there were 3,824 train removals and 833 unloading incidents which, Chavez noted, were “too high.”

On top of this, there was also an “unprecedented” six train derailments, he added. According to Chavez, BURI is tasked to overhaul 43 of the MRT 3’s 72 coaches.

It should have repaired 23 coaches by now but so far, only two have been overhauled, he pointed out. —Jovic Yee