Health protocols will remain in effect as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) readies a month-long free ride for commuters at the Metro Rail Transit 3 line, which was rehabilitated by the Japanese government.

MRT-3 OIC General Manager Michael Capati said in a Facebook post health protocols, including no talking, no eating, no drinking, and no answering of phone calls are prohibited inside trains.

Capati said the MRT-3 will launch two 4-car CKD train sets, complimenting the 18-car train sets. These latter sets will run during the peak hours of 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm, he added.

MRT-3 is projecting 300, 000 to 400,000 passengers per day with the rehabilitation. It is expected to complement the free rides under the service contracting program phase 3 of the DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The free rides on the MRT-3 line will start on March 28 to April 30, as announced by President Rodrigo Duterte during the ceremony marking the rehabilitation of the MRT-3 on March 22.

Financed by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the MRT-3 Rehabilitation project started in 2018 with Japanese contractors, Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).

All MRT-3 facilities and equipment were renovated under the project, including replacement of worn out tracks, upgrading of signaling system, and overhaul of the Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs).

“Now that we have accomplished its comprehensive rehabilitation, we can rely on the MRT-3 to run twice as fast without any untoward incident. This achievement of a fully rehabilitated railway will bring more convenience to many Filipino commuters,” said Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko. DMS