LRT, MRT to extend runs until midnight

The Metro Rail Transit Authority (MRTA) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) were ordered by the government to temporarily extend their operations until midnight starting yesterday.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Mendoza said the new schedule of operations was in response to President Arroyo’s calls for energy conservation, which includes the use of the MRT-3, LRT Line 1 and Line 2 instead of private vehicles.

"The government is urging the public to travel using the railways systems in Metro Manila to mitigate the impact of the looming oil crisis," the DOTC chief said in a statement.

Mendoza said studies would be made during the extended runs to determine if ridership is sufficient to continue longer operating hours. Prior to the directive, the train lines operated only until 9 p.m.

DOTC spokesman Gen. Thompson Lantion, for his part, urged car owners to use the trains in going to work so they can save fuel.

Lantion assured the public that stricter security measures have been implemented to ensure that commuters are safe, especially at night.

Line 1 has a length of about 15 kilometers and runs from Baclaran in Pasay City to Monumento in Caloocan City.

Line 2, more popularly known as the Megatren, is a 13.8-kilometer mass transit line that traverses five cities in Metro Manila, namely Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, San Juan and Manila) along the major thoroughfares of Marcos Highway, Aurora Boulevard, Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, Legarda and Recto Avenue.The MRT-3, or Metrostar, runs from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay in southern Metro Manila along EDSA.