LRT riders down 3% in Q1

Passenger volume in Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines 1 and 2 went down 3 percent in the first three months of the year due to the lower number of trains running during peak hours, data from the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) showed. The number of passengers who rode LRT 1 and 2 trains reached 59.69 million from January to March, or 1.7 million lower than the 61.39 million serviced in the same period last year. Data showed that the number of passengers using the LRT-1, which traverses Taft Ave. from Baclaran to Monumento, reached 42 million from January to March this year, or 1.58 million lower compared to 43.58 million in the same period last year. On the other hand, LRT-2, which traverses the cities of Manila, Pasig, Marikina, Quezon, and San Juan, recorded 17.67 million serviced passengers in the first quarter or about 140,000 lower compared to 17.81 million in the same period last year. In LRT-1, the number of trains running during peak hours was reduced to 55 in the first quarter from 57 in the same quarter last year, resulting to a higher load factor of 96.64 from 88.68. In LRT-2, the number of trains running during peak hours was at 10 in the first quarter from 11 in the same period last year, translating to a higher load factor of 61.6 from 46.2. LRTA spokesperson Hernando Cabrera blamed this on the deteriorating condition of trains running along the LRT lines. Cabrera said there are only 27 trains or 92 light rail vehicles running every day although the ideal number is 33 trains or 115 light rails vehicles. He added they arealready encountering problems in the sourcing of spare parts for the trains that have been running for 30 years. — KBK, GMA News