Commuters ride buses, jeeps as LRT2 trains not yet running

Commuters along Marcos Highway turned to buses, jeepneys and UV Express early on Monday as the Light Rail Transit 2 (LRT2) operations have yet to resume.

As early as before 5 a.m., jeepneys and UV Express were already full, according to a report on GMA News' Unang Balita by James Agustin.

May dumaan mang mga jeep at UV Express, punuan na ang mga ito kaya ang ibang pasahero sumasabit na lang sa likuran kahit delikado. @gmanews @dzbb @UnangHirit pic.twitter.com/LbLIXtqgRj

— James Agustin (@_jamesJA) October 6, 2019

Some passengers affected by the LRT2 disruption of operations were accommodated on buses plying the LRT2 route.

These buses charge a fixed fare of P15 and will stop at Santolan, Katipunan, Anonas and Cubao.

Jeepneys given permit to service the LRT2 route charge P11.

According to the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), 30 buses and 20 public utility vehicles will service LRT2 passengers from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

LRTA added that 10 modernized PUVs will be plying in point-to-point (P2P) system from Santolan Station to Legarda Station and vice versa to cater to affected passengers.

Meanwhile, 21 buses were deployed for the Santolan to Cubao route also in the P2P system.

The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board also issued special permits to 89 bus units to service the LRT2 route.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also deployed buses offering free rides from Santolan to Cubao and vice versa from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

MMDA spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Celine Pialago said aside from MMDA, the Philippine Coast Guard also sent buses to offer free rides to LRT2 passengers.

Traffic enforcers from MMDA were deployed earlier on Monday at 4:30 a.m. instead of the usual 5 a.m. to assist passengers, Pialago said.

Starting Tuesday, LRTA said, buses will also be deployed in Masinag, Emerald — which are both LRT2 extension station under construction — and Santolan in P2P system to Legarda Station.

At least 24 modernized PUVs will be deployed to ferry passengers from Santolan to Cubao route on Tuesday.

Fares cost P15.00 for , Cubao to Santolan route, while P25.00 for Masinag, Emerald, Santolan to Legarda route.

The LRTA announced on Sunday that they would not conduct partial commercial operations from Cubao to Recto on Monday, October 7, following the fire that hit rectifiers between the Anonas and Katipunan stations on Thursday.

In a statement on Sunday, LRTA Administrator Reynaldo Berroya said partial operations could not resume yet as they had not completed test runs and safety checks.

LRTA spokesperson Hernando Cabrera told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday night that they were aiming for partial operations starting Tuesday, October 8.

The LRTA previously said the Santolan, Katipunan, and Anonas stations would be closed for nine months as authorities waited for replacement parts to arrive in order to begin rehabilitation efforts. —with Joviland Rita/KG/KBK, GMA News