Busan Universal cries foul for heat over ills of MRT-3

Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI), the maintenance contractor of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), on Wednesday said it is unfair to put the blame solely on the company for the technical glitches hounding the mass rail system.

"'Yung isisisi niyo sa amin is unfair. Hindi lang kami ang part ng system," BURI legal counsel and spokesperson Charles Mercado told reporters during a press conference in Quezon City.

"Maraming causes ng glitches, iba-iba. At nag-start 'yan since the beginning of operation ng MRT," Mercado noted. The train stoppages and unloading of passengers have always been part of the MRT's history since 2000, he said.

One of the "culprits" is the condition of the railway tracks, Mercado pointed out.

"Everyone must be reminded of the need to replace the rails, which is not part of the maintenance provider's scope of work," Mercado said.

"The regular track maintenance under BURI's contract is not anymore sufficient to correct MRT's track condition. It's immediate total replacement is what is needed," the BURI official emphasized.

'Crucified' in media

The Department of Transportation has ordered the maintenance provider to explain within seven days why the government should not terminate its contract amid the glitches bugging the mass transit system.

Mercado said BURI has been "crucified" in the media as the clock ticks for the seven-day deadline for the company to explain the ills hounding MRT-3.

"We are really hurting kasi ina-araw-araw kami, kinu-crucify sa media," he said.

BURI is not putting the blame on the DOTr, the lawyer said and downplayed speculations of sabotage.

"We don't want to alarm the public na may sabotage dito. Walang indication na may sabotage," he said.

BURI project manager Roseller Mendoza noted the MRT has been exceeding its passenger capacity of 350,000 per day, saying the company has recorded more that 500,000 commuters since the maintenance work started last year.

BURI officials likened the MRT trains running on the track system in its current state to an old car being forced to run along rough roads subjecting the vehicle to excessive vibration that accelerates wear and tear.

They pointed out that BURI was able to restore the number of inoperable trains to 21 from 12 in January 2016.

BURI was awarded the P3.81-billion maintenance contract for the MRT-3 by the Department of Transportation and Communications in December 2015. The three-year contract began on January 5, 2016.

The consortium is composed of South Korea's Busan Transportation Corp. and Filipino firms Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile Inc., TMICorp Inc. and Castan Corp. — VDS, GMA News