The dispiriting scenes in our public transport are becoming all too prevalent and all too aggravating. Traffic will become even worse the coming months and years as infrastructure, long needed and long delayed, is now commencing construction. The LRT and MRT lines are said to step up and take over some of the pinch (probably not the right term, it should be “chaos) from the land passenger transportation vehicles i.e. buses, taxis, cars.

Granted that the subsidized prices in the LRT and MRT, unwisely demanded by the public and unwisely granted by past presidents who wanted to be populist, have resulted in the total lack of capital expense provisions for improvement or so it seems because they are not happening, must it also impinge on standard day-today operations? Is there no relief in sight? As the ridership increases, the cars become less because of maintenance problems. The result is hellish waiting, crowding and resulting anti-social behavior by those affected. Is it too much to ask that escalators be kept running, that elevators work and the restrooms be comfortable? Apparently it is. Do you need capital expenditure for that or should it not fall under “Maintenance?”

Premium + Digital Edition

Ad-free access


P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 14 DAYS
See details
See details