DOTC cracks down on 'weak' rail transit maintenance scheme

In the wake of recent breakdowns hounding the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system, the Department of Transportation and Communications is taking short- and long-term measures to address the problem. DOTC Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who took over the department last July, said the short-term measures involve DOTC engineers supervising maintenance teams, while holding a bidding for maintenance services in early 2012. “Nagpatawag tayo ng pulong noong nakaraang linggo at natuklasan natin na ang dahilan kung bakit umaaberya ang mga train ng MRT ay medyo mahina ang maintenance. Pukpukin natin ang maintenance na maging preventive imbes na curative lamang," he said in an interview on dzXL radio. Roxas said the long-term solution would be to open to bidding the MRT’s maintenance service once the present contractor’s contract ends in the first quarter of 2012. He said he has ordered the department to draw up new terms of reference for the participants in the bidding process. But he rejected suggestions to just get rid of the present maintenance crew, saying there is no immediate replacement for them at this time. On the other hand, he said a short-term solution would be to assign a team of DOTC engineers to oversee the maintenance work. “I assembled a team of engineers and personnel to supervise the maintenance crews and point out to them what needs to be done," he said. — LBG, GMA News