Government working to ease burden of Metro Rail
Transit users, says Palace
The Palace on Friday asked Metro Rail Transit
(MRT) users for more patience as the government awaits the arrival of new
coaches that will ease congestion in MRT stations.
“Humihingi po kami ng paumanhin at pang-unawa sa
ating mga kababayan sa kanilang dinaranas na sakripisyo araw-araw. Habang
hinihintay ang pagdating ng mga bagong bagon, patuloy na sisikapin ng
pamahalaan na maibsan ang problemang ito,” Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said in a statement he read during
a press briefing in Malacanang.
Coloma was responding to criticisms by MRT users
on the long queues of passengers, especially at the North Avenue station and
the EDSA -Taft Avenue station.
He said he has received some suggestions from
users of the MRT prepaid card on how to improve train service.
One of the suggestions, he said, is to allow
passenger turnaround. According to the suggestion, passengers going north to
Quezon City could board at the Buendia and Ayala stations, or those going south
could board at the GMA station and be allowed to turn around.
The suggestion noted that the MRT management had
allowed the turnaround of passengers in the past, and implementing it again,
even for just one hour during peak hours in the morning and evening, would ease
the long queues in the stations.
Another suggestion is to give the MRT
maintenance contractor performance targets, in the hope of increasing the
number of train coaches, he said.
Coloma promised to forward the suggestions to
the DOTC-MRT-3.
According to the latest information from the
Transportation Department, new coaches for the MRT could be operational next
year. PND (as)
Power restored in 25 remote barangays in Davao
Oriental, says Palace
Power has been restored in 25 remote barangays
in Davao Oriental which have been left without electricity since December 2012
in the aftermath of typhoon Pablo, a palace official said Friday.
The 25 barangays are from the municipalities of
Cateel, Boston and Banganga in Davao Oriental, Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
Coloma said that according to the National
Electrification Administration (NEA), the construction of power lines began
last March 3 and was completed on March 29.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla last
February 26 promised the full restoration of power in the 25 barangays within
45 days.
Coloma said Petilla has accomplished his promise
earlier than expected. PND (ag)
Government eyes start of mass transport projects
within President Aquino’s term
The government hopes to jump-start a number of
Metro Rail Transit (MRT) projects within the term of President Aquino to ensure
a more efficient transport system in Metro Manila, a Palace official said on
Friday.
“Sisikapin ng administrasyong ito na masimulan
iyan. Mayroon kasi tayong obligasyon sa lahat ng mga darating na henerasyon na
gawin ‘yung nararapat sa panahon ng ating panunungkulan,” Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press
briefing.
“Kahit naman hindi matapos sa panahon natin,
obligasyon pa rin natin na paghandaan ‘yung mga pangangailangan sa
kinabukasan.”
Coloma said the Aquino administration
acknowledges the need for an efficient and effective mass transport system to
enhance the economic activities of the country, especially in Metro Manila.
Among the projects that are already in the
pipeline is the MRT-7, which will run from North Avenue, Quezon City to San
Jose del Monte, Bulacan, he said.
Another is the extension of MRT Line 1 and the
addition of coaches to anticipate the growing number of MRT users, he added.
Coloma said the construction of these major
infrastructure projects will be done through public-private partnership (PPP).
He earlier appealed to commuters to have more
patience as the government works on improving the services of the MRT.
He said additional train coaches will be made
available next year.
A few weeks ago, the government reopened a ferry
service along the Pasig River as it begins construction of major infrastructure
projects in the city, which could result in traffic congestions. PND (as)
