The Metro Manila Development Authority deployed military trucks and buses to pick up passengers stranded by the suspension of the operation of the Metro Railway Transit 3 on Friday morning.
The MRT 3’s management decided to suspend the operation of the light rail system due to a cut catenary cable discovered on the northbound lane of the Guadalupe Station around 6:30 a.m., which made the power supply insufficient.
As a result, angry MRT commuters were forced to take buses along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.
MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said he ordered the deployment of two MMDA military trucks and emergency buses from the agency’s Metro Parkway Clearing Group to pick up the stranded passengers.
“We deployed trucks and buses and gave the affected commuters free rides to their destinations while the MRT operation was suspended, Lim said.
MMDA spokesman Pircelyn Pialago said the agency also augmented 50 city buses from the various Bus Management Dispatching Systems in Fairview and Balintawak in Quezon City, Baclaran and Gil Puyat in Pasay City, Navotas City and Malinta in Valenzuela City to pick up the passengers.
“To help ferry MRT 3 passengers to their destinations, additional buses were provided through the joint efforts of the DOTr Railways Sector, i-ACT [Inter-Agency Council for Traffic], MMDA, and LTFRB [Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board], the Transport department said in a statement.
The agency said a cut cable at the Guadalupe Station caused insufficient power supply from Shaw Boulevard to Santolan.
As of 9 a.m. Friday, there was an ongoing repair and technical works at the Guadalupe Station to restore full operations.
“After restoring full operations, MRT 3 will conduct an investigation to determine how the overhead catenary cable could have been cut, the department said.
During the time of former chairman and now Senator Francis Tolentino, the MMDA introduced the free-ride program in a bid to help commuters in case of heavy rain and massive flooding.
