The Metro Rail Transit is set to add more coaches and extend MRT operations by one hour in the evening to accommodate more passengers, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said Wednesday.

Dizon said operating hours of the MRT-3 will now end at 11 p.m.

“Marami po sa kababayan natin lalo na ‘yung nagtatatrabaho sa call center, hindi naman ‘yan 9-5. Inaabot ‘yan hanggang gabi. Ang hirap naman kung wala na silang masakyan kasi ngayon kahit gabing-gabi, may traffic na sa EDSA,’ he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

“Mukhang magagawa na ‘yan by next week at ‘yung dagdag na bagon next week din po…Base sa pag-aaral sa volume ng tao, mas kailangang mag extend sa gabi,” he added.

The transport chief said the maintenance operator also needs 5-6 hours  to maintain the trains. “Ayaw naman natin magka-aberya,” he said.

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Dizon also defended his decision to immediately replace MRT-3 General Manager Oscar Bongon  in the wake of an escalator malfunction that injured nearly a dozen passengers last week.

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Dizon said the escalator incident occurred last March 8 but he only got wind of it 2 days later.  He said he immediately called up Bongon who said the escalator has yet to be fixed. 

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He said the escalator was fixed the same day he made the phone call.

“With all due respect kay GM, ang tingin ko po kasi ang mga kawani natin ay kailangan may tinatawag na sense of urgency. Kailangan pag may nangyaring aberya, kailangan hindi naghihintay at dapat mabilis na umaaksyon kasi ang mga kababayan natin, kahit maliit na delay, anlaki ng epekto dito sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na commute,” he told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

“Nagtitiis na nga pô, hirap na hirap na po sila. Para magkaroon pa ng ganitong aberya, napakalaki ng epekto sa kanila. Tapos kung maghihintay pa po tayo ng 3 araw bago natin aayusin ‘yang aberya, e tingin ko po hindi katanggap-tanggap. Taliwas ‘yan sa gusto ng ating pangulo.”

“Hindi dapat natin pinapahirapan, dapat pinapagaan natin kahit papaano ang pang-araw araw na commute ng ating mga kababayan.”

Dizon urged commuters to post problems they encounter on government transportation lines on social media and tag the Department of Transportation so that they can fix the problem.

The transport chief said he wants to add more lights in stations that are not well lit plus covered walkways so that commuters who get off the LRT and MRT can seek shelter when it rains.