MRT3 bus augmentation to start at 4 a.m. beginning Thursday, July 9 -DOTr

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has instructed the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT3) management to dispatch its bus augmentation earlier, at 4 a.m., starting Thursday morning, Transportation Assistant Secretary Goddess Libiran said Wednesday.

JUST IN: DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade instructed MRT-3 to start dispatch of MRT-3 Bus Augmentation at 4:00AM beginning tomorrow, 9 July 2020.#DOTrPH???????? pic.twitter.com/GIiSvYCj9D

— DOTrPH ???????? (@DOTrPH) July 8, 2020

In a message to reporters, Libiran said that this was due to requests of passengers who were struggling with the temporary shutdown of MRT3 operations.

"Bilang tugon sa hiling ng mga pasaherong apektado ng pansamantalang shutdown ng MRT-3, ipinag-utos po ni DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade na gawing 4:00 a.m... ang start of dispatch ng MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program simula bukas," Libiran said.

"Layunin nitong mapaikli ang pila ng mga commuter sa mga designated stations, lalo na habang rush hour sa umaga," she added.

MRT3 on Monday announced that it would suspend operations for five days starting Tuesday after a number of its employees tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019.

"Ibinilin din ni Secretary Tugade sa MRT-3 na siguraduhing mahigpit na maipatutupad ang 3-minute regular dispatch system ng mga bus sa ilalim ng programa," Libiran said. -MDM, GMA News