DOTR chief: Lining up at MRT stations down to minutes from an hour
The time spent lining up in the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 stations has been reduced to at least seven minutes from what used to be 30 minutes to one hour, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said Friday..
'In North Avenue station, this is one of the most congested MRT-3 stations tuwing rush hour of 6 am to 9 am. Makikita po natin, napakalaking diperensiya 'no. Dati po, umaabot ng halos isang oras ang pila diyan, minsan lampas pa ng isang oras. Pero dahil po sa mga ginawa natin base sa direktiba ng ating Pangulo, ngayon po ay minuto na lang po ang binibilang ng mga kababayan natin sa mga istasyon sa MRT,' Dizon said during a Palace press briefing..
(There has been a huge difference. People used to line up as long as an hour there, even longer than that. But because of the changes we made, people are now only counting minutes when lining up.)
Dizon said the deployment of additional MRT-3 trains and removal of x-ray machines while maintaining security with deployment of K9 dogs as well as personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard have made a difference.
'Can you imagine, the commuters are already able to save two hours of commuting time. That is a huge lift for our commuters and their families, and this makes them more productive at work,' he said.
Dizon said when he went to MRT-3 Taft Station three months ago, it took him 30 minutes to finally ride a train.
'Because of the interventions that have been done, I was only in line for five to seven minutes. Nagulat talaga ako eh (I was really surprised). So that really is the change we want for our people on a daily basis,' he said.
Dizon, however, clarified that the reduced queuing time in train stations is not enough.
'Tuloy-tuloy tayo dito, hindi tayo titigil, hindi tayo makukuntento dito sa nakikita ninyo ngayon. Kung puwede pa nating pabilisin iyan, kung puwede pa nating mawala na totally ang pilang iyan, iyon po ang gagawin natin,' Dizon added.
(We'll keep at this. We won't be content with what we have right now. If we can even make it better and remove the time spent for queuing, then that is what we are going to do.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
19 hours ago
- GMA Network
EDSA rehab not canceled despite postponement —DOTr's Dizon
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday clarified that the rehabilitation of the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) is not technically canceled despite its month-long postponement. Dizon made the clarification upon the interpellation of Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel during the Commission on Appointments' (CA) panel meeting to consider his ad interim appointment as chief of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). NOW: The Commission on Appointments considers the ad interim appointment of Vince Dizon as Secretary of Department of Transportation. @gmanews — Giselle Ombay (@giselleombay_) June 3, 2025 'Hindi naman po ibig sabihin canceled... Pero sabi lang talaga ng Pangulo, nakinig siya sa ating mga kababayan, for us to find a better way and a faster way,' Dizon explained. (It doesn't mean it was canceled... But the President really just said—he listened to our countrymen—for us to find a better way and a faster way.) According to DOTr secretary, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. wants to expedite the rebuilding of the major thoroughfare from two years to six months. 'When he (the President) said a better way, he essentially meant a way that would be faster para hindi masyadong mahirapan ang ating mga kababayang dumadaan sa EDSA [so that it will not cause too much trouble to our countrymen passing EDSA],' he added. The Department of Public Works and Highways is the lead agency in the EDSA rehabilitation, which was supposed to begin on June 13. Marcos announced on Sunday the postponement of the project, saying it needs to be studied for one month to know if there are new technologies that can be used to hasten the rehabilitation of the 23.8-kilometer road. The estimated budget for the EDSA rehabilitation which aims to modernize the major thoroughfare and make it flood-free is P8.7 billion, until the end of 2026. Dizon said that by 2027, the DPWH estimated that the budget would total to P15 billion. 'Advanced stages na ng procurement, meron na atang mga natapos na ang procurement pero alinsunod dito sa utos ng ating Pangulo na i-pause muna at maghanap ng mas maganda at mas mabilis na paraan, eh baka kailangan is mag-adjust ang DPWH dito. But again I have to defer to DPWH on this,' he said. (I think the procurement is already in advanced stages, some of the procurements have already been completed. But according to our President's order to suspend the project and find a better and faster way, the DPWH may need to adjust also. But again I have to defer to DPWH on this.) The EDSA rehabilitation was supposed to pave the way for the 24-hour odd-even scheme and the waiving of toll in parts of Skyway Stage 3, among other interventions. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
PCG deploys another vessel to monitor China Coast Guard in Zambales
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed another vessel to monitor the presence of China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels off the coast of Zambales, its spokesperson said Monday. 'Right now, BRP Bagacay is patrolling the waters within the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc and to monitor whether there will be another CCG vessel that will attempt to go near the coastline of Zambales this afternoon,' PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a Zoom briefing. Over the weekend, Tarriela said a CCG vessel was located five to 18 nautical miles from Palauig Point off the coast of Zambales, which is within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). He said the vessel has gone further away from Zambales. 'I would like to believe na ito ngayon ay bumalik na sa vicinity ng Bajo de Masinloc. I would say it has the distance of somewhere between 115 to 120 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales,' Tarriela said. (I would like to believe that it has now returned to the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc. I would say it is at a distance of somewhere between 115 to 120 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales.) The PCG previously directed the Multi Role Response Vessel (MRRV-4409) BRP Cabra to challenge the presence of the CCG vessel. However, the BRP Cabra left after receiving a distress call from a Filipino fishing boat. Tarriela said that the CCG never responded to the BRP Cabra's challenge. He said that the CCG would often excuse its actions as the conduct of a legitimate maritime law enforcement. 'Kaya we are challenging them. We are reminding them that they are inside our own EEZ and that they do not have legitimate authority to conduct such illegal patrol,' Tarriela said. 'Kung hindi sila sumagot, I don't think we can hold them accountable for not responding. But definitely, we are challenging their illegal presence dito sa ating EEZ and that they never informed us of their intention why they are there and what is the purpose of their presence,' he added. In 2013, the Philippines challenged China over its claims on the West Philippine Sea, and in 2016 Manila scored a victory in a landmark ruling by an international tribunal that invalidated Beijing's claims. China has refused to acknowledge the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling that invalidated its nine-dash line. The Philippines has already filed over 150 diplomatic protests against China regarding the territorial dispute under the administration of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
NCAP will remain amid postponement of EDSA rebuild —DOTr
The No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) will remain amid the postponement of the EDSA rehabilitation, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said Monday. 'I think so, I think so. I think NCAP will stay because NCAP is not just about EDSA. It's about enforcing— a more efficient way of enforcing our traffic rules,' Dizon said in a press briefing. Over the weekend, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. announced the postponement of the rehabilitation, which was supposed to begin on June 13. Marcos said the project needs to be studied for one month to know if there are new technologies that can be used to hasten the rehabilitation of the 23.8-kilometer road. 'I want to do this faster, 'yun ang sinabi po ng pangulo. Gusto niyang mas mabilis. Ang sabi nga niya kung kayang anim na buwan lang,' Dizon said. (The president said he wants to do this faster. He even said, if it can be done in just six months.) The Department of Transportation previously said heavy traffic is expected once the EDSA rehabilitation begins. It was expected to last until 2027. 'I think this shows the President's resolve in not only rebuilding EDSA but in making sure that the inconvenience to the motoring public and to the commuters is minimized using the most advanced technology that is out there,' Dizon added. NCAP was resumed after the Supreme Court partially lifted the temporary restraining order against the policy, allowing only the MMDA to implement it. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
