MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday pledged to push for more public transportation projects to further improve mobility and interconnectivity in the country.
Marcos made the commitment as he led the inauguration of the 4th-generation (Gen-4) light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) - Line 1 in Baclaran, Pasay City.
“It truly makes me proud to witness the steady realization of our vision of a more developed Philippines coming to a fruition through our new LRVs, which will be used in the existing LRT-1 system and on the LRT-1 extension to Cavite,” Marcos said in a keynote speech delivered at the LRT-1 Depot.
“I assure you that this administration will continue to pursue more public transportation projects that will improve our people’s mobility and interconnectivity, as well as to enhance the quality of each Filipino.”
Starting July 20, the LRT-1 will deploy one Gen-4 train set for its main line to serve commuters daily, according to a statement from the Light Rail Manila Corp. (LRMC).
A series of safety checks, inspections, trial runs with minimum kilometers, and acceptance tests were conducted after the first batch of the Gen-4 trains arrived in the country in January 2021.
Procured as part of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project, the Gen-4 train set measures 106 meters in length and 2.59 meters in width and can accommodate about 1,388 passengers per trip, increasing daily ridership to 300,000 passengers from the existing 280,000 a day in its first year of full operations.
Marcos lauded the efforts of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), and LRMC for working together to provide Filipino commuters with “safe, reliable and efficient” transportation services.
He also thanked the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Mitsubishi Corp., and the Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles for their partnership with the Philippine government to enhance mass transit systems in the metro rail project.
“With this commitment that you have shown to enhance the capacity of the LRT-1 by increasing the number of LRVs, we’ll be able to now aid in easing traffic congestion, as well as mitigating air pollution caused by vehicles plying the roads of Metro Manila,” Marcos said.
“Equipped with advanced information system and a new signaling system, I am confident that the LRVs will not only improve the overall passenger experience but also will be championing safety.”
The President said he is looking forward to the full operation of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension by 2027 as it is expected to accommodate up to 800,000 passengers a day and shorten the travel time between Baclaran, Pasay City and Bacoor, Cavite to 25 minutes from 1 hour and 10 minutes.
“Having said that, I ask the public for your continued patience during the construction of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension,” he said. “And I also ask our commuters to practice courtesy and basic etiquette when using public conveyances, such as keeping trains clean, as well as following the rules so that our transport systems can run in an efficient, effective, and orderly manner.”