MRT to give free rides for 1 month starting March 28

Commuters can avail of free rides on the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) line for one month. This comes on the wake of the rail system’s recently concluded rehabilitation program by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

President Rodrigo Duterte and DOTr Secretary Art Tugade mark the completion of the MRT-3's rehabilitation project

“I’d like to announce that (Transport) Secretary Art Tugade decided that the MRT-3 rides will be free from March 28 to April 30, 2022,” President Duterte said during the completion ceremony of the MRT-3’s rehabilitation project, quipping that the free rides will not be offered forever.
 
According to Secretary Tugade, all MRT-3 stations will waive fares during these dates, emphasizing that this will help ease the riding public’s financial burdens brought about by rising inflation and increasing fuel prices. He adds that this will also help workers who are now reporting back to work in their respective places of employment. 

Transport Secretary Art Tugade says that the initiative will help ease the riding public's financial burden

The DOTr Railway sector, in partnership with the MRT-3 management and maintenance provider Sumitomo-MHI-TESP completed the railway’s rehabilitation works in December 2021, two months ahead of schedule. Under the project, all 72 of the service’s Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) were restored, with all tracks replaced. 

The line’s power supply, overhead catenary system, communications and signaling, and depot facilities were also upgraded. With the rehabilitation’s completion, the MRT-3 now runs at 60 kilometers per hour from the previous 25 kilometers per hour. The number of operational trains has increased from 13 to 23, while wait times between trains have been reduced from 10 minutes to 3.5 minutes.

The MRT-3's rehabilitation program was completed two months ahead of schedule  

“Gumanda at nagbago ang ridership natin, bago magpandemya – 260,000. Ngayon, as I speak, bagamat may pandemya, ‘yung ridership natin ay umaabot sa 280,000. At hangarin namin yung ridership kapag nailagay lahat ‘yan (23 trains) ay magiging 600,000 per day,” Secretary Tugade said.

(Our ridership has improved, which numbered 260,000 before the pandemic. Now, despite the pandemic, our ridership has reached 280,000. When all 23 trains become operational, we aim to increase ridership to 300,000 per day) 
 
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