MANILA, Philippines — Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Wednesday ordered the MRT-3 management and its maintenance provider, Sumitomo Corporation, to explain the disruption that affected commuters during the morning rush hour, while also directing the grant of free rides for passengers for the rest of the day.
In a memorandum, Lopez required MRT-3 General Manager Michael Capati to submit within 24 hours a detailed explanation on why he should not face administrative sanctions following the service disruption between Buendia and Guadalupe stations at around 5:30 a.m.
The incident caused delays and inconvenience to thousands of commuters who rely on the rail line for their daily travel.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said normal operations were restored at about 6:57 a.m., but not before the disruption affected morning passenger traffic.
The transportation chief also ordered Capati to issue a show-cause order to Sumitomo Corporation, the MRT-3 rehabilitation and maintenance service provider, as well as its consultants, requiring them to explain the cause of the incident.
“Both MRT-3 and Sumitomo must explain why the disruption occurred. This caused major inconvenience to passengers who depend on the MRT-3. We have to identify the cause of the disruption and do everything necessary to ensure continuous and reliable train service for commuters,” Lopez said in a statement.
To mitigate the impact on passengers, Lopez directed MRT-3 to provide free rides throughout the day. The cost of the free rides, the DOTr said, would be charged to Sumitomo.
