LRT-2 cuts operating hours as more personnel contract COVID-19
MANILA, Philippines — The Light Rail Transit-2 will cut short its operating hours beginning April 17 until the end of the month as it said more personnel have tested positive for COVID-19.
In a release on Wednesday, the management said trips will now be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., from the original operatiing hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. early this year.
LRTA Administrator Reynaldo Berroya said mass testing this month found 273 employees who contracted the virus. This was from 1,906 tested out of the 1,944 personnel in total.
He added that only 56% of ticket management and sales collection staff can still report to work functional, about 73% among train drivers and 68% of station personnel while the rest are in quarantine.
"We have already isolated all the infected/exposed personnel, have implemented work-from-home arrangements for depot workers," Berroya said, "revisited train ventilation and air-flow protocols, and ensured that all minimum public health standards are complied with at all times to avoid the further spread of the virus."
It was not made clear from the release how contact tracing efforts are done so far for COVID-19 positive personnel who may have interacted with passengers.
Travel on trains were limited to authorized persons outside residences or APORs as Metro Manila returned to a stricter quarantine classification.
Per the Department of Transportation, only 274 passengers per train set are allowed on the LRT-2 line after capacity was cut to 20 to 30%.
Berroya said the expected decline in ridership would allow them to continue managing LRT-2 operations given the lack of manpower.
He added that buses passing through Route 9 (Antipolo to Cubao) and Route 10 (Cubao to Doroteo Jose) will augment LRT-2's reduced operations and help carry affected passengers.
The train line's operating schedule will resume by May 1, Berroya said. — with reports from Franco Luna
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