MRT’s plague of problems

We don’t know Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio “Jun” Aguinaldo Abaya personally but judging from the number of emails we received in reaction to our column last Tuesday, there is a growing distrust in the competence of the DOTC head. We are merely echoing the sentiments of our readers that, sad to say, are mostly negative and unflattering, with some even downright violent and insulting about what they think of the DOTC chief.

The Metro Rail Transit has been plagued with all kinds of problems, but it had to take a serious accident (like what happened last week when a stalled train overshot the track and crashed on the barrier, resulting in almost 40 people getting injured including a six-month-old baby) for authorities to seriously examine the safety issues surrounding the MRT system. Fortunately, no casualty was reported, but commuters are obviously very afraid that something more serious could happen, like the trains falling off the elevated tracks while speeding along EDSA-Guadalupe or something similarly horrific.

Every day, an estimated 600,000 passengers take the MRT-3 trains to and from work. In our office alone, we know at least 50 people who ride the MRT and we are familiar with the difficulties they have to put up with just to be able to get a ride home because it’s supposed to be the fastest way to beat the traffic situation that is also getting worse. However, they tell us the time it takes them to line up to buy a ticket, pass through the turnstiles to reach the platforms and the waiting time to squeeze themselves inside the trains (that don’t come on schedule) now take almost as long as the hours spent on traffic by people who take the bus or shuttle vans.

The sad part is that Secretary Abaya has a tendency to make insensitive statements that only fan the flames of anger from the riding public – many of whom do not have any other choice but to take the MRT because it is the only mass public transport system available to them. That’s the reason why they still take it despite the awful service and questionable safety and dubious maintenance procedures being undertaken.

Many are also skeptical about the speedy conclusion of the “investigation” regarding the Taft Avenue station mishap last Aug. 13 where the blame is being pinned on the two drivers and two control center personnel who supposedly failed to follow standard coordination procedures.  Insiders also question why the stalled train was pushed forward to the Taft Avenue station when the Magallanes station was nearer, indicating that the decision must have been made by somebody higher up than the control personnel or the drivers.

The DOTC says the accident is a result of “human error,” but the inside information we received tells us otherwise. We are convinced the deeper problem is “policy error,” considering the statements of Abaya admitting that new guidelines need to be implemented and that personnel that will be hired need to be more familiar with safety operational procedures other than the twice-a-year reorientation program currently being implemented. Those in the know also say the maintenance has suffered ever since Sumitomo Corporation was replaced by PH Trams-ComBuilders and Autre Porte Technique Global as maintenance provider, with the latter allegedly owned by a close friend of the DOTC Secretary.

That the public has become very doubtful of DOTC can be gleaned from the disbelieving comments regarding the speed by which the “investigation” was conducted, with many saying the poor drivers and control personnel were shafted and offered as sacrificial lambs. In fact, some say an outside group should have conducted the probe to make it more credible.

As we write, calls are mounting from the public for Abaya’s resignation but Palace mouthpieces say the President continues to have the trust and confidence of the President. Abaya said he is willing to resign and that it will only take “one text” for him to go. He didn’t say though whose text he was referring to, prompting many to ask – didn’t President Aquino say he listens to his “bosses”?

Many Filipinos could not help but compare the actions of Abaya with that of Malaysia’s MRT Corporation CEO Azhar Abdul Hamid who tendered his resignation – no ifs, no buts – after an accident at an MRT construction site that resulted in the death of three foreign workers. Azhar’s actions earned him praise for taking responsibility and doing the honorable thing – something rare nowadays, commented many.

In any case, a petition has also been launched at change.org by Dinna Dayao asking the president to require all government officials – including Malacañang staff and senior Cabinet officials – to take the MRT at least once a month. The petition is beginning to snowball, with petitioners also demanding that the officials take the MRT during peak hours and without benefit of special assistants (no “hawi boys,” some remarked) so they can really experience the daily realities faced by the majority of Filipinos.

The DOTC is one of the most important departments because transportation affects everybody – whether the mode off transport is by air or water, whether it’s a bus, car, truck or train, so Secretary Abaya has to step up to the job and do better. Unfortunately for Abaya, he is being compared to Public Works Secretary Babes Singson who, before joining the Aquino Cabinet, was very successful in the business sector. Shortly after he took over, Singson was able to overturn the corrupt image that has plagued the DPWH for decades.  In the case of Abaya, it seems his experience as a navy official and as a politician has not prepared him for the job at DOTC. Obviously, being related to General Emilio Aguinaldo is not a ticket to success.

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