Metro Manila –In order to enhance accessibility and convenience of rail commuters, the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) simultaneously opened yesterday, 19 October 2017, 32 new elevators and 13 escalators in various LRT Line 2 (LRT-2) stations.
LRTA Administrator Reynaldo Berroya, who led the simple opening rites at the LRT-2 Recto Station in Manila, said the project is in line with the objective of the Duterte administration to provide the riding public, especially senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and pregnant women, a safer and more accessible commuting experience.
“Ito po ay handog ng ating Pangulong Duterte sa ating mga mananakay upang maging madali ang pagbi-biyahe,” Gen. Berroya said, noting that the elevators have rails that are user-friendly to PWDs, particularly the blind.
Gen. Berroya likewise expressed his gratitude for the support given by Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade to the rehabilitation program of LRTA.
Berroya noted that the operationalization of elevators and escalators is part of the newly-installed, state-of-the-art and durable conveyance system of the LRTA, which is designed to last from 10 to 15 years.
Berroya said this is the first time that the conveyance system has been replaced since LRT-2 started operations in 2003.
“Yung nakaraang anim na taon sira yan kaya kawawa yung mga pasahero noon,” he said.
Apart from the conveyance system, rehabilitation projects of LRT-2 include the systematic replacement of all train air-conditioning systems, restoration of four trains and rehabilitation of station facilities and equipment.
The LRT-2 runs from Santolan in Pasig to Recto in Manila, and has an average ridership of over 252,000 passengers daily. | DOTr-PR
