By Pearl Gumapos
LRT-1 Cavite East Extension is now 55.6% complete after being delayed for 19 years, said Assistant Secretary for Communications and Commuter Affairs of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Goddes Hope Libiran in a Facebook post.
“The LRT-1 Cavite Extension was delayed for 19 years. It was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on August 25, 2000, while its Right of Way acquisition started way back in 2007. Unfortunately, 0% was certified “free and clear” by the Independent Consultant when Sec. Art Tugade came in 2016,” Libiran said.
Libiran said once operational, the 11.7-kilometer railway line will drastically reduce travel time between Baclaran in Parañaque and Bacoor in Cavite from 1 hour 10 minutes down to 25 minutes
The LRT-1 Cavite Extension can accommodate 500,000 to 800,000 passengers per day, she said.
In addition to being more than 50% complete, additional trains will be arriving soon.
DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said that the LRT-1 Cavite Expansion was a project that was left hanging and only saw progress in June 2016.
“Before, numerous rail projects were left hanging. Worse, from being one of the pioneers in establishing railroad networks in Asia, ironically, we are trailing behind. From more than a thousand-kilometer railroad network in the 1970s, our country’s operational railway length drastically shrunk to only 77 kilometers in 2016. Tumanda tayo ng paurong, ika nga,” Tugade said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile the LRT-2 Antipolo Station has undergone inspection and will be formally opened next month as a part of the LRT-2 East Extension Project.
“Oras na maging operational ang proyektong ito, ang dating travel time mula Manila hanggang Antipolo ay magiging 40 minutes na lamang, kumpara sa dating tatlong (3) oras na biyahe sakay ang bus o jeepney,” Tugade said in a Facebook post. -rir
