Stranded commuters turn to elevated rails

MANILA, Philippines - With many of Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares rendered impassable to vehicular traffic by flash floods, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) provided an alternative for commuters trying to get home, officials said yesterday.

LRT Authority administrator Melquiades Robles expressed pride that their maintenance personnel were able to keep LRT Lines 1 and 2 running efficiently and without disruption despite Saturday’s torrential rains.

Robles said the only problem they encountered was the unavoidable congestion at the LRT stations, especially those in flooded areas such as Taft and Rizal Avenues.

At the MRT, the rail line charged passengers a flat rate of P10 starting 9:30 p.m. Saturday as a form of relief assistance to thousands of commuters.

MRT general manager Reynaldo Berroya said the P10 flat rate will be available until the end of their extended operations at 1 a.m. today.

He said the MRT maintained normal operations despite reports that passengers had to endure the long wait between trains.

Berroya said to accommodate the surge of passengers last Saturday, they increased the number of trains from nine to 16. – Rainier Allan Ronda