Senator Grace Poe takes ‘MRT challenge’

A senator on Friday got a firsthand feel of the hardships faced by commuters taking the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).

Sen. Grace Poe took the MRT shortly after 8 a.m. from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City.

In a text message to dzBB's Nimfa Ravelo, Poe said she had to fall in line for about 40 minutes for her turn to buy a trip ticket.

Sen. Poe at 8:20AM North Ave; 40mins. pumila; nasa Taft Ave. ng 10:30AM (Photos:@sengracepoe's office) | @nimfaravelo pic.twitter.com/y3lYZ6Z8qx

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 29, 2014

Photos posted by dzBB's Ravelo showed Poe joining commuters in lining up for tickets, and Poe talking to one of the passengers once inside the MRT coach.

Poe added the travel time was about an hour and a half because one of the MRT trains reportedly had a glitch.

"We lined up at North around 8:20 a.m., reached our destination Taft station at 10:30 a.m.," she said.

The MRT, which links North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, has been the subject of complaints due to recent glitches and disruptions.

Earlier this month, a coach went out of control and overshot the safety barrier at the Taft Avenue, injuring nearly 40 people. Earlier this week, flooded tracks between Ayala and Buendia limited the MRT's trips to between North Avenue and Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.

Still, passengers taking the MRT from the Quezon Avenue Station in the early morning had a much harder time, having to queue all the way from Mother Ignacia Avenue – while standing in the rain.

A report by GMA News' Micaela Papa on "Unang Balita" said traffic enforcers worked to compress the queue so it would not take up too much of the road.

One of the commuters lining up said he had to wait for about an hour in line.


 
— Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News