DOTr: Right-of-way acquisition for LRT-1 Cavite extension nearly complete
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:58 p.m.) — The Department of Transportation on Tuesday said that it was nearing full acquisition of right-of-way for the long-delayed LRT-1 Cavite extension project.
Right-of-way refers to a transportation system's right to construct and later operate a railroad line, road, or utility on land belonging to other entities.
DOTr said that the remaining obstructions left before securing 100% right-of-way approval included one Maynilad pipe, telco and cable facilities of six companies, various other ancillary facilities, and 18 lots owned by three separate owners.
Relocation of the Maynilad Water Services pipe now only requires a permit from Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway operator Cavite Infrastructure Corp. (CIC), which has committed to issue one before November 1.
DOTr said it is optimistic that the two remaining companies would be cooperative and not delay the project further as both subsidiaries of Manny V. Pangilinan's Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.
At the project's start of works ceremony in May, Pangilinan was quoted as saying, “we should be partially open by a full year before 2022."
"So Ping [Alfonso], those are your marching orders," he said, addressing the president and CEO of the Light Rail Manila Corp.
Light Rail Manila Corp. is a joint venture of MPIC's Metro Pacific Light Rail Corporation, Ayala Corp.'s AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines) PTE Ltd.
Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez has also provided support by clearing obstructions in the area, which included "obstructing ancillary facilities, such as plant boxes, lamp posts, traffic signals, and CCTVs."
Concerns regarding the country's mass transportation options ballooned when electric and technical glitches on October 2 caused the MRT-3 and LRT-2 operations to halt resulting in some 500 passengers being offloaded.
The succeeding day, the LRT-2's power rectifier in between the Katipunan and Anonas stations caught fire, effectively paralyzing both stations and the Santolan Station.
Transport groups held a nationwide transport strike on September to protest the PUV modernization program which looks to phase out all jeeps that are at least 15 years old and replace them with Euro 4-compliant vehicles running on renewable energy. Each PUV unit's cost, however, ranges from P1 million to P2.2 million.
In closing, the department also said that partial operations for the Cavite extension were being expected for the end of 2021.
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