MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has deployed 20 buses to give Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) commuters an alternative during rush hour.
The buses will initially serve commuters traveling from Antipolo City in Rizal to Cubao, Quezon City and Legarda, including students heading to schools and universities in Manila, DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said on Thursday.
The initiative aimed to ease pressure on the LRT-2, which has been unable to accommodate thousands of passengers because of its limited number of operational trains, Dizon said.
Under the trial arrangement, the regular fare from Antipolo to Legarda, originally P80, was reduced by 20 percent to P66. Students will pay P55.
The bus deployment was a temporary measure while the government works on longer-term solutions to the LRT-2’s operational problems, said Dizon, a former Department of Public Works and Highways chief.
During Wednesday’s inspection at the Masinag station in Antipolo, Dizon said around 4,000 passengers during the 6 to 8 a.m. peak period could not be served by the rail line.
The DOTr chief noted that commuters sometimes had to wait 30 to 45 minutes in line before boarding a train. Only 10 trains are operational and that number could decline further when some break down.
Dizon attributed the shortage to years of inadequate maintenance and funding, noting that the trains are 25 to 27 years old and have not been replaced.
Buying new trains would not immediately solve the problem, as delivery could take three to four years and the government has yet to allocate funds for the purchase.
“We cannot solve this overnight. I apologize to our commuters because this is not an easy problem to address,” Dizon said.
The DOTr is also studying the possibility of establishing a busway-style system along Marcos Highway in Rizal to make trips faster.
