Senate Committee on Public Services Chairperson Senator Raffy Tulfo revealed the numerous problems that he and his Senate team discovered during their inspection of MRT and LRT stations.
During a committee hearing recently, one of the issues raised by Tulfo was the shortage of Beep cards in the Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs).
As a result, commuters are forced to buy tickets at manual counters, which causes long lines.
LRT Line 2 Transport Operations Service Chief Gil Monteclaro explained that some passengers are hoarding Beep cards in bulk, leading to the rapid depletion of stock in the TVMs.
“If they had already identified this issue, they should have hired personnel to monitor the machines to prevent overbuying.”
The legislator responded by telling Monteclaro that if they had already identified this issue, they should have hired personnel to monitor the machines to prevent overbuying.
The lawmaker also highlighted a problem with the TVMs, which often only accept coins and reject the new polymer banknotes issued by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas. This issue also contributes to long lines at the cashier counters.
As a result, the senator reprimanded Department of Transportation (DOTr) Assistant Secretary for Railways Jomar Lua and MRT-3 Station Division Chief Roda Espejo for their failure to properly monitor the maintenance of the machines despite their long tenure in service.
He also pointed out the lack of proper signage leading to connecting stations of the LRT and MRT, particularly at MRT Cubao and LRT Cubao Stations, where passengers often get lost.
Tulfo also mentioned the issue with stations connected to malls, such as the one in Cubao, where commuters cannot pass through the mall connection when the establishment is closed. Thus, passengers need to walk along the street exposing them to the heat and is also confusing.
He stressed the need for Lua and Espejo to coordinate with mall management to resolve this problem.
“If you really ride the MRT regularly, how come you have not noticed this problem?”
Tulfo also criticized the faulty Public Address (PA) System of the MRT, which is difficult to understand due to the garbled speakers. He asked Espejo, if she really rides the MRT regularly, as she claimed, how come she has not noticed this problem?
Espejo admitted that they often encounter issues with the PA system but defended herself by saying that she had already reported it to the relevant department.
Tulfo reprimanded her again, emphasizing that it was her responsibility to follow up on the actions taken by the department to ensure the issue is resolved.
In the end, he ordered Lua and Espejo to conduct regular inspections of MRT and LRT stations to address all the problems affecting commuters.
Tulfo added that if they fail to take action, he will be forced to discuss the matter with DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon and recommend the dismissal of officials who fail to perform their duties properly.
