Black Nazarene feast causes spike in LRT ridership

The Light Transit Authority transported 479,175 passengers during the Black Nazarene procession Wednesday last week, its highest single day ridership in six years. On the same day last year, the LRT Line 1, which runs from Baclaran to Monumento, carried 448,923 passengers. In a statement, LRTA Administrator Melquaides Robles also reported that passenger load factor on that day stood at 70 percent with a three-minute headway between train sets and with no breakdowns recorded. Robles attributed the increase in ridership to the rehabilitation of old trains, some of which were inoperative for 15 years already, as well as it on-going capacity expansion project. Anticipating the rise in passenger volume during the feast day celebration, the LRTA management fielded 107 light rail vehicles or 31 trains, 11 of which were the rehabilitated train sets. The LRTA earlier reported revenues amounting P2.45 billion for both Line 1 and 2 in 2007. The amount is 9.83 percent higher than the P2.23 billion it reported for 2006. Of the total amount, Line 1 raked in P1.70 billion in revenue while Line 2 posted P746.87 million. - GMANews.TV