1 week after mishap, militants picket MRT to press Abaya ouster

One week after a Metro Rail Transit coach overshot a safety barrier and injured nearly 40 people, militants picketed an MRT station in Quezon City early Wednesday morning to push the ouster of Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya.

Members of the Riles Network showed up at the North Avenue station with placards calling for subsidized safe transport, radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported.

Photos tweeted by Gatus showed the militants holding their picket while hapless commuters lined up to buy tickets.

Grupong Riles Network, ipinapanawagan ang pagbibitiw ni DOTC Sec. Jun Abaya. | via @allangatus pic.twitter.com/tEHHJOI0hg

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) August 19, 2014

Last week, an MRT coach overshot the safety barrier at the Taft Avenue station in Pasay City, damaging the station and some nearby vehicles and disrupting traffic.

Nearly 40 people were injured, including pedestrians hit by debris.

Last Tuesday, the Department of Transportation and Communications blamed the incident on human error.

However, the DOTC also said the trains would now run slightly slower at 40 kph.

The MRT links North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City via Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.

Despite last week's mishap, passengers continued to line up at the MRT for their turn to buy tickets as of Wednesday morning.  — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News