LONG OVERDUE FIXES FOR LRT, MRT: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS ARE SUFFERING DAILY

I hope that Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s administration can finally put in place a lasting solution to the LRT-MRT problem in his first year in office. I think that a “first aid” fix, like more trains, faster travel time and cooler air-conditioning system, for the first 100 days isn’t too much to ask. The tens of thousands of daily riders, who’ve suffered long enough over a span of past incompetent administrations, will certainly appreciate and remember that.

It is deplorable that our primary mass transport system, underdeveloped as it is, was heavily neglected and now the riding public
is even suffering more because of it. People will remember the names of past Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) heads, including Secretary Jun Abaya - who was vocal about his apathy (“ride the LRT/MRT if you want or ride something else”) - for this gross negligence. Former Sec. Jun Abaya apparently doesn't realize that for many of us, there is actually no other choice. These DOTC chiefs are either incompetent or corrupt, and considering that these are highly-educated and highly-experienced executives, it is natural to think that the latter may be the case.

Expanding the LRT to Cavite is welcome news but before we start on that we should improve the infrastructure that is already in service. Optimize the number of trains plying the lines (especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours), optimize their speed capacity, fix the air-conditioning systems, improve the queuing system on stations to minimize long lines on the roads/sidewalks, etc. are just some of the priority concerns.

The “universal” BEEP card is a very welcome improvement considering that LRT1, 2 and MRT systems accept it, and that its load has a long validity period – much like Singapore’s EZ-Link card and Hong Kong’s Octopus card. But it’ll be better if just like the EZ-Link and Octopus cards, its stored value can be used at 7-Elevens, Mini-Stops and other establishments nationwide. Jollibee, SM ePLUS and others have this system (with Point-Of-Sales or POS machines) in place for their own stored value cards – arrangements should be easier so that they can accept BEEP cards as well.

I’ve watched DOTC Secretary Arthur Tugade on TV speak about his plans for his first 100 days and I was really impressed. I hope that besides being a visionary he is also a crusader like President Duterte - and that he has the determination and the resources to turn his vision into reality.