Amid unrelenting woes of hundreds of thousands of commuters patronizing the breakdown-prone Metro Railway Transit Line 3 (MRT 3), the House leadership on Wednesday questioned the “competence” of the rail facility’s general manager, Rodolfo Jazmines Garcia.
During the joint hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and House Committee on Public Works and Highways, Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said Garcia had no actual or real experience in the operation and maintenance of a train system.
“You were appointed there to fix the problem. Now, your experience is being a member of the board, but you don’t have any experience in operation. You’ve been sitting in the post for more than a year and yet nothing has happened,” Alvarez said.
According to Alvarez, the MRT 3 needs a competent official who could fix the problems in the system.
“The [commuting] public is exhausted. We really need to fix [the problems and glitches of MRT 3]. We need a person who can really address the problem,” Alvarez added.
The House Speaker said commuters had long been suffering with the service of the MRT 3, including the ordeal of having to stand in long queues and overcrowding in the trains, not to mention the frequent breakdowns of the system.
He said the real mission of the MRT 3 train managers is to ensure the convenience of the riding public, as well as the safety and cleanliness of the mass-transport system.
Dalian trains
Meanwhile, Garcia said they were looking to augment the present number of MRT 3 coaches by using the controversial Dalian coaches procured during the Aquino administration.
However, Alvarez said that the signaling system of the Dalian coaches may not be compatible with the existing system and challenged Garcia if he was sure of what he was telling the committee.
But Garcia said, “I will resign if I am not sure.”
According to the data of the committee, the original specification of the MRT 3 system is designed to serve 300,000 passengers a day with at least 20 trains.
At present, MRT 3 officials admitted that the system is accommodating an average of 350,000 passengers daily with less than 10 trains at its disposal.