Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — A 15-minute delay in the departure of the second train at the MRT-3 North Avenue Station caused longer waiting times for passengers on Tuesday (June 2).
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In a phone interview with CNN Philippines on Tuesday, MRT-3 General Manager Roman Buenafe said the problem was due to a malfunction in the air-conditioning units.
When asked how long before the train problems would be resolved, he explained that the maintenance provider is having difficulty in buying spare parts.
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“Unless the maintenance provider procures the spares we cannot reach 20,” he said, referring to the agreed number of trains to run during peak hours with Autre Porte Technique Global Inc. (APT Global).
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But some passengers at the station said they waited for 30 minutes for the first train, which was supposed to arrive by 4:30 a.m.
Others, who fell in line as early as 3:45 a.m., said security guards did not advise if trains were indeed available so they were forced to take other modes of transportation.
On Monday (June 1), MRT-3 deployed only seven trains because other coaches had air-conditioning problems.
This led to long lines and a longer waiting time for passengers on the first day of the school year.
According to Buenafe, as of this posting, 12 trains are running.
CNN Philippines’ Patricia Ongsiako contributed to this report.
