LRT operator in Monumento collision gets the axe

The  driver of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 train that figured in a collision with another train last Saturday will be given his walking papers.

LRT spokesman Hernando Cabrera said instead of filing an administrative case against the operator, whom he did not identify, they decided to just not renew his contract when it expires next month.

LRT investigators concluded that "human error" caused the accident, and the one responsible was the  operator of the train that rear-ended another train at the Monumento Station.

"Paano mo pa ba pagkakatiwalaan pag ganun? Kung ang ibang operator natatanggal sa mas mababang offense, paano pa kaya sya?" Cabrera explained.

On Saturday at 7 a.m., LRT Line 1 suffered power fluctuation that triggered red signals to light up along the tracks. All the trains stopped as part of safety protocol.

However, after four minutes, the operator of the train at the Monumento Station turned off the onboard system and rolled past the red signal without seeking clearance from the control center. The moving train then rammed another train, which came to a halt just meters away after the power fluctuated.

The accident would not have happened if the train driver did not override the system, Cabrera said.

The result of the investigation showed that the  system of LRT Line 1 is still safe despite Saturday's accident. —KBK, GMA News