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Is MRT 3 prepared to implement social distancing measures?

BACK ON TRACK Metro Rail Transit 3 trains meet on the tracks on Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City during a test run earlier this month. Metro Manila's busiest train system is preparing to resume operations once the capital transitions to general community quarantine by next month. -- RICHARD A. REYES

In preparation for Metro Manila’s possible shift to general community quarantine (GCQ), a simulation run will be conducted on the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) to test the protocols laid out by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

According to MRT 3 director Michael Capati, the simulation run is aimed at preparing the railway system as soon as it is allowed to resume operations by the end of the month. The run is scheduled to take place on May 30 and 31.

As per guidelines released by the DOTr, the number of passengers in MRT 3 will be limited to 150 people per train. Senior citizens, pregnant women and children aged below 20 years old will not be allowed entry at the station unless they can present proof of essential travel.

To ensure that social distancing measures are maintained, markings have been installed in the train cars and station platforms. Marshals will also be deployed to ensure that social distancing measures are being taken.

[READ: How will MRT and LRT look once they resume operations on May 16?]

In a Laging Handa press briefing on May 26, all 17 mayors in the Metro Manila Council (MMC) have agreed on a recommendation to transition the National Capital Region to GCQ after May 31. This recommendation will be forwarded to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the coming days.

[READ: Metro Manila mayors recommend NCR transition to GCQ with modified coding, localized lockdown]

 

Header photo by Richard A. Reyes of Inquirer.net

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Read more:

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Metro Manila mayors recommend NCR transition to GCQ with modified coding, localized lockdown

How will MRT and LRT look once they resume operations on May 16?

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