(CNN Philippines) — The MRT plans to limit passenger entry in the coming days in order to lessen the cases of passengers fainting or suffocating due to overcrowded trains and hot weather.
Ideally, there should be 20 trains running during peak hours which could accommodate 7,880 passengers, according to the MRT.
By controlling the crowd entry, some of the passengers will be forced to battle it out with the estimated 232,000 others who take the bus on rush hours.
Related: MRT plans to limit passenger entry
The plan, however, did not sit well with some bus drivers and conductors who said the passenger influx could be too much to handle.
“Lalong di kakayanin sa bus kasi siksikan na. May operation na sa MRT siksikan na sa bus, lalo na pag nag-limit ng pasahero sa MRT,” said bus conductor Esteban Apostol.
Some MRT riders also opposed the plan.
Related: MRT: Our hell on wheels
MRT rehabilitation
To relieve the burden of the commuting public, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P1.2 billion for the rehabilitation of the MRT.
The fund, which is part of the P22 billion supplemental budget passed last year, covers the replacement of the rail transit’s existing signaling system as well as the rehabilitation of escalators and elevators in different stations.
The current elevators were in use for 16 to 17 years already, MRT General Manager Roman Buenafe said.
He added that the hydraulic type elevator design is already obsolete and it is better to shift to a cable type which is easier to maintain.
Below is the breakdown of the fund:
Procurement for the modernization of 12 unit elevators for various MRT stations: P50,000,000
Supply and delivery of one lot OCS Road-Rail Vehicle for maintenance activities: P90,000,000
Supply and delivery of one lot Rail Grinder to repair the damaged MRT-3 tracks due to stamping and shelling: P167,163,000
Total replacement/upgrade of the existing signaling system due to obsolescence and in line with capacity extension: P900,000,000
At present, Buenafe said that the emergency rail replacement is ongoing in critical areas. But the target is to replace the rails of MRT’s whole stretch.
A huge chunk of the budget, however, will go to the upgrading and eventual replacement of the MRT’s outdated signaling system.
The release of the fund will improve both the capacity of the mass transit system and the overall user experience, according to Budget Secretary Butch Abad.
CNN Philippines’ Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
