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THE Senate Public Services Committee, chaired by Sen. Grace Poe, commended on Tuesday the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the maintenance and repair works on the MetroRail Transit (MRT) that Poe said “gave us 13 running trains to date.”
“We hope this will be the start of the promised resurrection of the MRT’s services and the reversal of its abysmal record of unfortunate events,” Poe said.
She also aired hopes that “this would alleviate the sufferings of the commuters who brave the long queues every day to get a ride, and often get off-loaded when the train encounters technical glitches.”
Poe said the Senate committee members repeatedly suggested that a comprehensive program to rehabilitate and maintain the MRT is needed to ensure its safe and efficient operation.
“We look forward to the DOTr’s promise to increase the running trains to 20, each having a four-car configuration to transport more passengers at a faster pace,” she said.
The senator added: “In the days ahead, we hope we can hear developments from the DOTr on the issue of the Dalian trains, as well.”
This, even as Poe acknowledged that “we have a long way to go before we can have a train system on a par with developed countries. But 13 and, soon, 20 trains are better than seven or eight.”
She gave notice that the Senate Public Services Committee “will keep watch until we have a train system that is affordable, efficient, safe and comfortable, because the public deserves no less.”
Butch Fernandez
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