Article by:
Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) continues to log record-high daily ridership in June, the third month of its “libreng sakay (free ride)” program.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, the rail line said a total of 370,713 passengers were served on Wednesday -- breaking Tuesday’s record of 370,276 since it resumed operations in June 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Ito ay resulta ng pagpapatupad ng libreng sakay ng MRT-3 at pagpapatakbo ng mas maraming train sets, na binubuo ng nasa 14 hanggang 16 3-car CKD train sets, at apat na four-car CKD train sets (This is the result of the free rides at MRT-3 and having more train sets running, made up of 14 to 16 three-car CKD train sets and four four-car CKD train sets),” it said.
Wednesday’s ridership made 10 straight weekdays where the MRT-3 served over 350,000 passengers.
“Matatandaan na nasa 250,000 hanggang 300,000 mga pasahero ang sumasakay sa MRT-3 kada araw bago magsimula ang pandemya noong Marso 2020 (It may be recalled that around 250,000 to 300,000 passengers took a ride at the MRT-3 daily before the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020),” it said.
Earlier, it highlighted that there had been zero unloading incidents or train breakdowns at the MRT-3 since July 16, 2020, due to its “massive” rehabilitation.
Before President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016, unloading incidents and breakdowns of MRT-3 trains were common but have decreased over time -- with 586 unloading incidents in 2016, 463 in 2017, 57 in 2018, 28 in 2019, and zero incidents since 2020.
The free ride program at the MRT-3 began in March and has since been extended repeatedly, with the program set to end on June 30. (PNA)
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