MRT records 29 straight days of no unloading incidents

By Aerol John Pateña

August 2, 2018, 3:02 pm

MANILA -- The Metro Rail Transit Line-3 has recorded 29 consecutive days of no unloading incidents from July 4 to August 1, 2018.

This surpassed the 28 consecutive days without unloading incident, which was recorded from April 24 to May 21, 2018.

“This is the longest ongoing no-unloading streak for the transit since 2011,” the MRT said in a statement Thursday.

The MRT has improved its operations due to the delivery of spare parts since February this year.

“Regular maintenance and availability of spare parts using only original spare parts. Focus and teamwork,” MRT director for operations Michael Capati said in a text message to Philippine News Agency (PNA).

A Special Bids and Awards Committee created by the DOTr has completed the procurement of spare parts last December.

The MRT management expects to continue procuring additional spare parts for this entire year.

The MRT sees its operations to further improve once a new maintenance provider takes over.

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade said the department is eyeing Japanese company Sumitomo-Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI) to take over as MRT maintenance provider by mid-August to September at the latest.

A loan agreement must be signed with the government of Japan to pave the way for the mobilization of Sumitomo as maintenance provider of the MRT-3

The MRT has been running an average of 15 trains daily, serving around 350,000 passengers, with a headway time of seven minutes. (PNA)

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