Commuters avoid MRT-3, take buses
Around 40,000 passengers took the MRT-3 on Monday, the first day of the resumption of operations, compared to the 45,000 recorded daily passengers in June
With public transportation still operating on limited capacity because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), commuters prefer to take the bus augmentation program of the government instead of riding the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT).
In a report, the line of passengers availing the buses was longer than those taking the MRT-3 yesterday, the second day following the resumption of its operations.
Some passengers admitted they were afraid to take the MRT-3 after 281 of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Around 40,000 passengers took the MRT-3 on Monday, the first day of the resumption of operations, compared to the 45,000 recorded daily passengers in June.
As of 6 a.m., at least 12 MRT-3 trains were running.
The situation was different at the LRT-1 Monumento station, as more passengers lined up to ride the train than take the bus augmentation service.
On Monday, there was a long line of passengers for the MRT-3 bus augmentation units, with the tail end stretching the length of EDSA to West Avenue. Some commuters said they felt safer inside the buses since there are fewer passengers in each unit compared to the MRT-3.
The passengers also said the dispatching of buses was fast.
A total of 90 bus augmentation units were deployed as of Monday, operating from from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m., while 190 bus units on the EDSA Busway system are plying the route from Monumento to the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.
All passengers on the MRT-3 and buses undergo body temperature checking, and hand sanitation and physical distancing is also strictly enforced. Commuters also need to fill out contact tracing and health declaration forms.