MRT 3 REHAB TULOY NA

APRUBADO na ng Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee ang rehabilitasyon ng Metro Rail Transit Line 3 na popondohan ng official development assistance (ODA) mula sa Japan.

Ayon sa National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), ang P22.061-billion project ay inaprubahan noong ­Huwebes, Agosto 16.

“This development just means that there is no stopping the rehabilitation of the entire MRT3 system,” wika ni Department of Transportation (DOTr) Director for Communication Goddess Libiran.

Nabatid na ang MRT 3 rehab ay sisimulan sa third quarter ng 2018 at matatapos sa first quarter ng 2021.

“We are expecting the loan agreement signing at the end of this month or early next month. Takeover of the Japanese maintenance contractor shall commence after that,” ani Libiran.

Nauna nang sinabi ng DOTr na sisimulan ng Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. at ng technical partner nito na Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ang rehabilitation at maintenance works sa MRT3 ngayong Agosto.

Inaasahang darating sa bansa ang Sumitomo-Mitsubishi team sa sandaling malagdaan ng Filipinas at Japan ang ODA.

“The project, executed by the Department of Transportation, is part of the agency’s strategy for restoring, upgrading, and regularly maintaining the MRT3 over the long- term,” ayon sa NEDA.

Sa isasagawang rehabilitasyon ay darami ang operating trainsets sa 18 mula sa 15 per hour,  tataas ang maximum train speed sa 60 kilometers per hour, at mapapaikli ang headway sa 200 segundo.

Sakop ng rehabilitation agreement ang trains, power supply system, radio system, CCTV system, public address system at signaling system.

Sinabi naman ni Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia na sa nalalapit na rehabilitasyon ng MRT 3 ay inaasahan nila na gaganda ang serbisyo nito.

“Over the long-term, we envision the MRT to be a very convenient and efficient mode of transportation that will encourage car owners to shift to public transportation, thereby reducing traffic congestion in Metro Manila,” aniya.