THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Thursday briefed the House Committee on Transportation to discuss the status of their ongoing mass transportation projects in the railway sector.
Committee Chairman Rep. Romeo Acop noted that the completion timelines of many railway projects of DOTr are no longer accurate, and urged the agency to find solutions to address project delays.
He underscored that delays have implications on Filipinos, “If there is substantial delay, there will be substantial fines or penalties,” since these projects are mostly foreign-funded or financed through loans, adding that “these fines and penalties could be passed to the Filipino taxpayers.”
DOTr Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said that the LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension Project is at 68.88 percent overall progress rate as of January 31, 2023.
As of January 31, 2023, other projects’ overall progress is as follows: 1) LRT Line 2 East Extension Project, 99.80 percent; 2) MRT Line 3 Rehabilitation Project , 96.65 percent; 3) MRT Line 7, 66.07 percent; 4) Metro Manila Subway Project Phase 1, 37.48 percent; 5) Unified Grand Central Station, 79.72 percent; 6) North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System, 55.70 percent.
Chavez explained that most delays were due to right-of-way acquisition issues.
Chavez also reported that 80 of the 120 Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs) purchased for the LRT Line 2 East Extension in 2017 have water leaks, prompting the government to defer payment to the supplier pending the submission of a rectification plan.
“Ang nasa terms of reference po ay dapat ang bawat bagon ay continuous laser welded. Iyon ho ang nakalagay pero ang ginamit po ng ating contractor ay sealant,” he said.
Chavez also confirmed that the Philippine National Railways (PNR) will temporarily halt operations this year due to safety and expenditure concerns.
According to the Undersecretary, the stoppage will delay the NSCR project’s construction.
He added that ridership studies have been conducted to provide alternatives to commuters who will be affected by the stoppage.
