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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Poe: Mass transit should be accident-free, too

Poe: Mass transit should be accident-free, too

Published Oct 12, 2021 03:15 pm

Senator Grace Poe on Tuesday, October 12, lamented the recent fire incident at the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3), saying the government should be making sure that public transport remains safe, not only from COVID-19, but also from accidents.

One of the cars of MRT-3 Southbound caught fire at Guadalupe station on Saturday night, October 9, 2021. (Photo from Patrick Garcia)

"Mass transit should not just be COVID-19-free, it must also be accident-free," said Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services.

"Our people expect the government to alleviate their transport woes amid the pandemic by sustaining the safe operation of public transport like the MRT," she added.

On Saturday, October 9, fire broke out in one of the coaches of the MRT-3 near the Guadalupe Station in Makati City. Eight passengers were hurt in the incident.

The MRT-3 management said it is "examining all possible angles" to determine the cause of fire cause. MRT-3’s maintenance provider Sumitomo Corporation also said that an investigation is ongoing.

“We assure the public that we will take all the necessary countermeasures to prevent a repeat of this incident,” the MRT-3 management said in a statement.

Poe, meanwhile, said that the government, besides big-ticket infrastructure projects, should also ensure maintenance of public transport.

"We’ve seen that even during a pandemic, our public transportation has remained the backbone of sustainable mobility which is essential to economic recovery," she said.

"The maintenance of the trains must be a critical part of government operations no less. Buhay ng ating mga kababayan ang nakataya dito (The lives of our countrymen are at risk here)," she pointed out.

Related Tags

Transportation public transport mass transit MRT-3 Grace Poe
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