Free LRT rides for elderly, PWDs

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 is offering free rides to senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) during weekends and holidays until Jan. 8 next year, an official announced yesterday.

LRT corporate communications and customer relations head Rochelle Gamboa said elderly and PWDs with at least two family members would get free rides.

Gamboa said senior citizens and PWDs must be CBC (concessionary beep card) holders.

She said CBC holders should proceed to the tellers’ booth at each LRT-1 station to activate the free rides.

“Those without CBC can still avail themselves of the free rides as long as they apply in the teller’s booth and present a claim stub,” Gamboa said.

The Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC), private operator of LRT-1, has extended its operating hours for the Christmas holidays, with the last trains leaving the Baclaran and Roosevelt stations at 11 p. m. on weekdays and 10:30 p.m. during weekends and holidays.

The LRMC has completed the repairs of elevators and escalators at the LRT stations.

The 32 elevators and escalators in Doroteo Jose, Roosevelt, Balintawak, Monumento and ESDA stations are functional to provide convenience to commuters, the LRMC said.

The restored elevators and escalators include disabilitycompliant features such as Braille buttons and accessibility controls for PWDs.

The LRMC said it has increased the number of running light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the train system to 96 as of November.

When the LRMC took over the operations and maintenance of LRT-1 in September last year, there were only 77 running LRVs.

The LRMC bagged the P65billion project to operate, maintain and extend the train system all the way to Cavite.

The LRT-1 serves 13.5 million passengers per month.