By Fernan Angeles
AFTER a two-week holiday in view of government restrictions that came along the imposition of a strict lockdown for Metro Manila and four adjoining provinces, the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3), Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT2), Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1), and Philippine National Railways are all set to resume their operations on Wednesday, August 19.
With Metro Manila and nearby provinces return to general community quarantine (GCQ), the mass transport service firms hinted on a strict enforcement of mandatory wearing of face mask and face shield. Defiant passengers would be denied boarding the trains.
DOTR-MRT3 will be deploying 18 train sets, including 16 CKD train sets and two Dalian train sets.
The first trip in the North Avenue and Taft Avenue stations will start at 5:30 a.m. while the last trip will be at 9:10 p.m. for North Avenue station (southbound) and 10:11 p.m. for Taft Avenue station (northbound).
Meanwhile, Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), operator of LRT2, hinted at doing the same thing – strict implementation of the government’s public heath safety protocols like the mandatory wearing of face shield aside from face mask, in line with Memorandum Circular 2020-014 issued by the Department of Transportation last August 3.
Light Rail Manila Corporation, operator of LRT1, also posted an advisory on the resumption of its services.
The PNR will likewise resume its service with the same schedule and health protocol in place.
The train services suspended operations on August 4 with the reimposition of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in National Capital Region.