Ref.: Maria Kristina E. Cassion
854-0984 / 854-0452 / 853-0041 to 60 local 8940
Mobile: +63 917 552-6023
January 12, 2009
The Light Transit Authority (LRTA) has reached a milestone during last Friday?s Feast Day of the Black Nazarene celebration, with the highest passenger volume it has ever in its 25 years of revenue operation.
LRTA Administrator Melquiades A. Robles said it counted 582, 989 passengers, who took the LRT trains in their Baclaran-Monumento System (Line 1) on the said day, beating the old record of 542, 605 passengers set on December 16, 1996.
Robles also said it has set a new combined ridership record of 785, 674 passengers for both its Line 1 and Recto-Santolan System (Line 2), surpassing its 2007 record of 542,605.
With the heavy influx of passengers, the LRTA?s Operation Department had to deploy some of its train crew supervisors to drive the trains and augment its train operators for the continuous fielding of its 31 trains at 2 minutes interval.
Robles said the new record was achieved because of the LRTA?s Capacity Expansion Project (Phase II), which was completed in 2007, as well as the speedy rehabilitation of all down trains, some of which were inoperative for 15 years already.
?Because of CAPEX II and our rehabilitation efforts, we now have more trains to service passengers and bigger station with more tellers? booths to accommodate them,? Robles explained.
Presently, LRTA?s Line 1 System has a stable of 139 coaches that may be configured into 3-car or 4-car train combinations depending on passenger demand, with a carrying capacity of 1,309, 680 passengers per day.
On the other hand, its Line 2 system has 16 trainsets available, which can carry a maximum of 730, 240 passengers per day.
Last Friday, the LRTA allowed the entry of barefoot devotees in consideration of the customary celebration of the Black Nazarene Day.
It has also deployed additional security with K9 dogs, medical and customer relations personnel, as well as additional tellers at the UN Avenue, Central, Carriedo, D. Jose and Recto stations to accommodate the surge in passenger volume.
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