A LAWMAKER on Thursday renewed his call to the government to take over the operations of Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 to arrest the deterioration of its facilities and services.
“We urge the Duterte government to take over the transport system and nationalize and establish a local industry for its sustainability,” Rep. Ariel Casilao said.
“The Filipino commuter has had enough of an import-dependent system.”
Casilao made his statement even as the National Bureau of Investigation failed to find any mechanical or electrical defects in the coupling devices involved in the decoupling incident at MRT 3 on Nov. 16.
NBI Special Action Unit head Joel Tovera made the assessment Wednesday after his team inspected the coupling devices involved in the incident in which an MRT coach got detached from two front cars.
“We found no defects insofar as the electrical and mechanical aspects of the coupler assembly is concerned,” Tovera said.
Casilao said tapping Sumitomo, the contractor removed by the officials of former President Benigno Aquino III, would not solve the problem.
He said resigned Transport undersecretary for Rail Cesar Chavez had already revealed that even under Sumitomo’s term, the number of passenger unloading incidents had increased from 457 to 539 in 2011, while the incidents under the Busan Universal Rail Inc. peaked at 576 in 2016.
“As Usec Chavez was transparent enough to reveal this, we are starting to understand why he resigned, and after his resignation all this buzz about Sumitomo replacing BURI took over,” Casilao said.
Chavez said the government was paying MRTC P610 million monthly in equity rental payment. The MRT’s total cost was $675.5 million in 2000 or about P30.2 billion, while the investors’ equity was at $190 million in 1996 or about P5 billion.
“We urge the Duterte government to take over the transport system and nationalize and establish a local industry for its sustainability,” Rep. Ariel Casilao said.
“The Filipino commuter has had enough of an import-dependent system.”
Casilao made his statement even as the National Bureau of Investigation failed to find any mechanical or electrical defects in the coupling devices involved in the decoupling incident at MRT 3 on Nov. 16.
NBI Special Action Unit head Joel Tovera made the assessment Wednesday after his team inspected the coupling devices involved in the incident in which an MRT coach got detached from two front cars.
“We found no defects insofar as the electrical and mechanical aspects of the coupler assembly is concerned,” Tovera said.
Casilao said tapping Sumitomo, the contractor removed by the officials of former President Benigno Aquino III, would not solve the problem.
He said resigned Transport undersecretary for Rail Cesar Chavez had already revealed that even under Sumitomo’s term, the number of passenger unloading incidents had increased from 457 to 539 in 2011, while the incidents under the Busan Universal Rail Inc. peaked at 576 in 2016.
“As Usec Chavez was transparent enough to reveal this, we are starting to understand why he resigned, and after his resignation all this buzz about Sumitomo replacing BURI took over,” Casilao said.
Chavez said the government was paying MRTC P610 million monthly in equity rental payment. The MRT’s total cost was $675.5 million in 2000 or about P30.2 billion, while the investors’ equity was at $190 million in 1996 or about P5 billion.
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