MPIC mulls fresh bid for MRT-3 rehab

Infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) is planning to revive its proposal to rehabilitate the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3).

“We’re thinking of resubmitting our updated proposal on MRT-3,” MPIC chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told reporters yesterday.

He said the intention is to submit the proposal to the government within the year.

As the railway which cov- ers North Ave. station in Quezon City until Taft station in Pasay City is going through a series of breakdowns and service interruptions, Pangilinan said it is necessary to give it attention.

“We’re trying to impress the urgency of the issue,” he said.

MPIC first submitted its proposal to the Department of Transportation and Communications for the rehabilitation of the MRT-3 in 2011.

Under the proposal, MPIC offered to make an investment worth more than $500 million to upgrade the train system.

MPIC’s proposal was thumbed down as it would involve raising fares.

The MRT-3 has deteriorated over the years with more than 100 unloading incidents recorded since the start of the year, according to data from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Last year, there were 586 unloading incidents.

The DOTr has earlier warned the current maintenance provider of MRT-3 Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI) it may partially terminate the contracts for signalling and general overhaul of the train system due to service disruptions.

In response to the DOTr, BURI said the maintenance contract should not be terminated as it argued the MRT3’s glitches are due to the railway’s current condition.

BURI, a joint venture of Busan Transport Corp., which is owned by the Korean city government of Busan; and local companies Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMI Corp., and Castan Corp., took over the MRT3’s maintenance in January last year.

In December last year, the train system had an average of 409,000 passengers per day.

MPIC is part of the consortium operating the Light Rail Transit Line 1.

Apart from the rail business, MPIC is also involved in tollways, water, power, hospitals, and logistics.