By yearend, expect no commuters lining up at Metro Rail Transit (MRT ) 3 stations, an official told a Senate hearing on Monday.
Engineer Deo Leo Manalo, director for operations of MRT 3, gave this assurance during the hearing of the Senate committee on public services chaired by Senator Grace Poe.
鈥淏y end of the year po, we鈥檙e projecting鈥ctually ngayon po, sir, may pila sa peak hours but during off peak, wala na pong pila. But end of the year, sir, sigurado pong mawawala na 鈥榶ung pila,鈥� Manalo said, responding to Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon鈥檚 query.
(By the end of the year, we鈥檙e projecting鈥ctually now, there are just lines during peak hours, but during off peak, there are no lines. But at the end of the year, we assure there will be no more lines.
鈥淏y the end of the year, you鈥檙e guaranteeing that mawawala 鈥榶ung pila (the lines will be gone)?鈥� Drilon asked again.
鈥淵es sir,鈥� Manalo said.
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The MRT 3 official said that the 23 trains that are currently operating can carry about 500,000 passengers a day. But by 2018, he said, more trains will be added and the number of riders would increase to 700,000.
In 2019, Manalo said they expect to have 鈥渕ore efficient operation鈥� and the trains could carry about 800,000 passengers a day.
鈥淪o in summary you鈥檙e saying from the current 500,00, hopefully by 2019鈥� you will have 800,000 capacity?鈥� Poe asked.
鈥淪o right now, these are all up in the air and are wish list because for now, we still have the signaling system to test to make sure there鈥檚 no feedback,鈥� she said.
Poe then asked if the projected additional 300,000 passengers in 2019 would mean less people lining at MRT stations.
鈥淢ababawasan po ang pila (There鈥檒l be less lines),鈥� Manalo said.
But the MRT 3 official revised his answer when Drilon directly asked when the long lines of commuters would totally disappear. IDL/rga