Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate economic affairs, said today the Department of Transportation (DOTr) should return to China the P3.8 billion worth of 48 light rail vehicles (LRVs) and demand for a total refund should this option be the findings and recommendations of an independent auditor from Germany.
The findings and recommendations of the TUV Rheinland, the independent audit and assessment consultant from Germany, are expected to be released on Saturday.
Gatchalian said the DOTr should also to take immediate action based on the other findings and recommendations of the independent auditor.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade had said the Chinese-made LRVs are not suitable for use on the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) rail line.
“Two years have passed since the Dalian trains arrived, and yet their fate remains in limbo. I urge DOTr and the MRT-3 management to act on the recommendations of the audit as soon as they are released, so that we can bring the suffering of MRT-3 commuters to an end,” he said.
In the event that the 48 LRVs, procured for P3.8 billion from Chinese supplier CRRC Dalian Co., are assessed as unworthy for use on the MRT-3 line, Gatchalian said that the DOTr should return the units and demand for a total refund.
The trains were purchased during the Aquino administration.
“It’s a question of suitability. If it is found that these trains aren’t right for the system, the government needs to get our money back. We cannot rely on trains that don’t match the specifications agreed on by the parties in the first place,” he stressed.
In January 2018 the DOTr and the MRT-3 management tapped the German firm TUV Rheinland to be the Independent Audit and Assessment (IAA) Consultant that will evaluate and submit recommendations on issues concerning the unused LRVs.
The DOTr had said the Dalian trains weigh 49.7 metric tons, which exceeds the maximum allowable weight of 46.4 metric tons found in the contract, making them unsafe to use on the existing MRT-3 rails.
The transportation agency also claimed issues in the compatibility of the LRVs with MRT-3’s maintenance facilities and signaling system.
“The constant ailments of the MRT-3 have left it on life support. The usual medicine won’t be enough to save it. It needs a life-saving treatment. Hopefully, the independent audit will give the government the information it needs to make the right diagnosis and, ultimately, revitalize its operations for the benefit of the commuting public,” Gatchalian stressed.
The findings and recommendations of the TUV Rheinland, the independent audit and assessment consultant from Germany, are expected to be released on Saturday.
Gatchalian said the DOTr should also to take immediate action based on the other findings and recommendations of the independent auditor.
DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade had said the Chinese-made LRVs are not suitable for use on the Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3) rail line.
“Two years have passed since the Dalian trains arrived, and yet their fate remains in limbo. I urge DOTr and the MRT-3 management to act on the recommendations of the audit as soon as they are released, so that we can bring the suffering of MRT-3 commuters to an end,” he said.
In the event that the 48 LRVs, procured for P3.8 billion from Chinese supplier CRRC Dalian Co., are assessed as unworthy for use on the MRT-3 line, Gatchalian said that the DOTr should return the units and demand for a total refund.
The trains were purchased during the Aquino administration.
“It’s a question of suitability. If it is found that these trains aren’t right for the system, the government needs to get our money back. We cannot rely on trains that don’t match the specifications agreed on by the parties in the first place,” he stressed.
In January 2018 the DOTr and the MRT-3 management tapped the German firm TUV Rheinland to be the Independent Audit and Assessment (IAA) Consultant that will evaluate and submit recommendations on issues concerning the unused LRVs.
The DOTr had said the Dalian trains weigh 49.7 metric tons, which exceeds the maximum allowable weight of 46.4 metric tons found in the contract, making them unsafe to use on the existing MRT-3 rails.
The transportation agency also claimed issues in the compatibility of the LRVs with MRT-3’s maintenance facilities and signaling system.
“The constant ailments of the MRT-3 have left it on life support. The usual medicine won’t be enough to save it. It needs a life-saving treatment. Hopefully, the independent audit will give the government the information it needs to make the right diagnosis and, ultimately, revitalize its operations for the benefit of the commuting public,” Gatchalian stressed.
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