The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Monday that the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will temporarily suspend its operations from July 7 to 11 after more of its personnel tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
In a release, the agency said that all of its personnel will undergo RT-PCR testing during the suspension of the train line’s operations.
The DOTr said that temporary shutdown is currently eyed for five days. However, it clarified that the period may be shortened or extended, depending on the pace and results of RT-PCR testing.
“This also means that operations will resume even if the number of available personnel can only operate a limited number of train sets at the beginning,” it added.
The DOTr said that the management will conduct thorough disinfection of all MRT-3 facilities, including its depot, stations and trains during the temporary shutdown.
Meanwhile, the MRT-3 Bus Augmentation Program will continue with 90 buses and fixed dispatching interval of every 3 minutes to ferry commuters.
Apart from that, 150 buses will also be deployed for the EDSA Busway service, carrying passengers between Monumento and the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITx).
It said that a mini loop will also run between Timog Ave. and Ortigas to service passengers, where shuttle services/mini buses will be allowed to pick up and drop off passengers at the curbside.
Forty-five more personnel of MRT-3 tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, according to DOTr. This prompted the management to deploy fewer trains starting today.
It said that the number of trains could be reduced to around 10 or 12 from the original deployment of 16 to 19.
