Joy Barcoma calls out slow MRT trains, lack of platform safety

“Ang ganda ng transport system ng HK lalo sa MTR tapos sa Pinas ang bagal na nga ng sched ng tren,” Barcoma wrote on Threads.

The concern follows several incidents of severe crowding among MRT-3 commuters, including one at the Cubao station earlier this year, when passengers packed the platform as more people continued to arrive via the escalator ahead of an incoming train.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and MRT-3 management apologized for the incident, acknowledged that personnel allowed passengers onto an already congested platform, and said they would strengthen crowd monitoring and management.

“[U]ltimo safety sa platform di pa maibigay. Haysss,” Barcoma added.

The government is now preparing to privatize MRT-3 through a proposed ₱103.6-billion public-private partnership (PPP), with the DOTr targeting the award of the concession contract by the second quarter of 2027.

Under the proposal, a private concessionaire would take over the railway’s operations and maintenance and invest in capacity expansion, while the government would retain ownership of MRT-3 and control over fares and service standards.

The DOTr aims to increase the line’s daily capacity from 500,000 to as many as one million passengers and reduce train intervals from around three and a half minutes to two minutes. The agency also plans to acquire additional train cars and upgrade the signaling system to improve service reliability.

The proposed turnover comes as commuters continue to call for safer, more reliable train service, including better crowd control and measures to protect passengers waiting on station platforms.

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