Senate probes MRT woes

MANILA, Philippines —  The Senate public services sub-committee on transportation will conduct an inquiry Monday into the state of the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3), which has recently encountered glitches affecting thousands of commuters.

The hearing set at 10 a.m. arose from four filings including the bill of Senator Grace Poe that seeks to establish a National Transportation Safety Board that will investigate and report on various modes of travel.

Senate Resolution 839 filed by Senator Sonny Angara aims to investigate in aid of legislation the MRT-3 incident last month and re-examine the mass-transport system for planning.

Senate Resolutions 840 and 841, filed by Senators Nancy Binay and Bam Aquino, respectively, will inquire into the increasing incidents of train malfunction arising from the supposedly inefficient operations and inadequate maintenance of MRT3.

The Senate committee that will hold the hearing is headed by Poe, who took the MRT3 on Friday to get a "first-hand experience of the current situation of MRT commuters."

Today's inquiry came weeks after a defective MRT3 train overshot the railway tracks and crashed into a barrier at the Taft Avenue Station in Pasay City, injuring more than 30 passengers.