Motoring Today Column

Mar 30, 2022

Two recent developments could have some dramatic effect for the good on the metro's mass transport system and traffic. Or just provide drama.

Free Train Running

One is the one-month free ride for everyone on the MRT-3.

This is being written just before the one-month period for the free MRT-3 ride begins.

What happens on the first day or first week of this boon for commuters who daily take the MRT-3 should be instructive.

Will it lead to chaos and long lines at the stations and/or mass violations of health protocols on trains? Will the newly rehabilitated and upgraded MRT-3 be able to accommodate safely and efficiently the tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of commuters looking to take advantage of the free ride.

It was President Duterte who announced that the MRT-3 will be offering free rides to the public from March 28 to April 30 at the ceremony marking the successful completion of the rail system's massive and comprehensive rehabilitation.

Why offer the free ride?

In a press statement, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade said this will greatly help ease the financial burden of the riding public, especially amid the inflation, rising fuel prices, and with many Filipino workers now returning to on-site work.

Tugade also indicated that the free ride initiative will showcase the improved services of the rail line following the completion of the MRT-3 rehabilitation project undertaken by the DOTr Railway sector, the MRT-3 management , and its maintenance provider, Sumitomo-MHI-TESP.

MRT-3 trains can now operate at a maximum of60 kilometers per hour compared to 25 kph before the rehabilitation. The system can now also run 23 trains simultaneously, instead of just 13, the lowest number pre-pandemic. Headway or waiting time between trains has also been reduced from an average of 10 minutes to just 3.5 minutes.

Tugade said the MRT-3 ridership attained an average of 260,000 passengers pre-pandemic. As the system was being rehabilitated, this reached 280,000 under pandemic restrictions. The MRT-3 aims to attain a ridership of 600,000 per day with all the improvements working and with 23 trains running at the same time.

Buses on Skyway

Another development that could have some dramatic effect on traffic and the transport of people and goods is the return of public utility buses and closed delivery trucks on the elevated Skyway system.

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) subsidiary Skyway O&M Corporation (SOMCO) announced that beginning on April 1 allClass "2" vehicles--buses and closed vansexceeding 7 feet in height and with valid Autosweep RFID stickers--will be allowed back on the entire elevated Skyway system.

These types of vehicles were temporarily restricted from using theSkyway for safety reasons during the construction of theSouth Luzon Expressway (SLEX) elevated extension in Muntinlupa.

SOMCO said that beginning April buses can enter and pass through the Skyway elevated sections spanningAlabang to Bicutan (Stage 2),Bicutan to Buendia (Stage 1), andBuendia to Balintawak (Stage 3). They can also access thenew SLEX elevated extension, and NAIA Expressway.

SMC president Ramon S. Ang said that with the re-opening of the Skyway to public buses and select transport trucks, "we're hopeful that many of our countrymen from both north and south can benefit from the convenience provided by the entire Skyway system."

This development will "help to further decongest our public roads, given that we are now back to pre-pandemic levels of traffic," he added.

Many expect that buses and delivery trucks should benefit from faster -albeit at some expense-passage on the Skyway system. But some think questions remain about how much this will help ease traffic congestion at-grade levels.

Already some motorists are noting the congestion now being experienced on the Skyway itself - particularly at entry or exit ramps - with the volume of vehicles running in the metro returning to or now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

Suzuki in Kawit

Suzuki vehicle owners in Cavite, especially those in Kawit, should be happy to know that there is now a dealership and service center nearby where they can go to when needed.

Suzuki Philippines has unveiled another member to its dealership network.

The newest of its now 72 dealerships nationwide can be found alongAntero Soriano Highway in Barangay Batong Dalig in Kawit, Cavite.

Sitting on a 2,000 square meter lot,Suzuki Auto Kawit boasts ofsix service bays and a 360-square meter showroom for six vehicles.

Honda H-RV Comes

There's another subcompact crossover that may be worth waiting for.

It's the all-new Honda HR-V which is expected to arrive by the middle of April.

Honda Cars Philippines says the new generation HR-V will " Heighten your Senses" with stunning looks, quality built cabin with good ergonomics, smooth and efficient performance from a 1.5L DOHC i-VTEC engine (turbocharged in the top-of-line variant), and Honda SENSING and other state-of-art technology.

The All-New Honda HR-V will be available in two variants-the S CVT and Turbo CVT with prices ranging from P1,300,000 to P1,600,000.

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The 37 Honda dealerships nationwide will begin accepting reservations beginning on April 1.

Happy Motoring!!!

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