Discourages private vehicles on roads, offers free rides on MRT3
In view of the skyrocketing cost of fuel, President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday encouraged people to take public transport instead of driving their cars.
This was as the President said the MRT-3 train, which runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, will be offering free rides for a little more than a month, from March 28 — his birthday — to April 30.
In his Talk to the People address Monday night, the President said the country will continue to bear the brunt of the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has driven up the cost of oil.
Duterte said the whole world is reeling from rising prices of oil and other petroleum products and said the Philippines will suffer more because of the uncertainty of oil supply.
“If there is enough oil supply, the price will be high because of demand. We are not rich; we will be left behind by other countries. If there is a supply, it will be given to those who can pay,” he said.
Duterte then urged the public to just take public transportation and mass transit services, particularly trains, to conserve energy.
He said that taking public transportation would help motorists save money.
“Only the rich can afford the oil. Those like us who have cars, but fuel prices are too high, just take the bus or the MRT,” he said.
The chief executive also told jeepney drivers not to resort to protests or transport strikes, saying that “no amount of protesting will bring down gas prices, which are dictated by world markets.”
Duterte announced the free train rides during a ceremony to mark the completion of the MRT-3 Rehabilitation Project funded by the government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
“I am pleased to join you today for the timely rehabilitation completion ceremony of the MRT-3. It is proof that we are keeping our momentum in improving our national road system, which aims to deliver quality service to the Filipino people, and respond to the emergence of the new normal,” Duterte said.
The President thanked the Japanese government for its assistance.
“Our train system would not have returned to its original high grade design condition without the technical competencies and professional aid of our service providers from Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,” he said.
“With the joint efforts of these companies and the DOTr (Department of Transportation), we’ve increased our train speed from 25 km/ hour to 60[km]/hour, while the time interval between train arrivals has improved to eight to 10 minutes,” he added.
From 12 to 15 operating train units at a time, Duterte said there are now 18 to 22 train units available.
“This progress will decrease, if not altogether stop the number of unloading incidents in our stations,” he said.
The MRT-3 rehabilitation includes upgraded signaling, communications and CCTV systems, the repair of all station escalators and elevators and the installation of air conditioning units inside the trains.
