Wazzup Pilipinas!
DOTr MRT-3 Press Statement
24 August 2018
This refers to the social media post of MRT-3 passenger Ms. Miriam Cabiles on August 22, 2018. In the post, she stated that she was unfairly asked to pay an "overstay charge" due to overstaying within the paid area of MRT-3.
Please note that the MRT-3 allows a passenger to stay within the paid area for a maximum of 2 hours (not 1 hour as stated in Ms. Cabiles’s post). Prescribing a maximum stay period is a standard railway operating procedure that is implemented for security reasons and to avoid the turnback of passengers.
Per MRT-3’s investigation of the incident of Ms. Cabiles, it was found that:
- Ms. Cabiles entered the paid area of Cubao Station at exactly 7:17 AM.
- Per Ms. Cabiles’ post, she was able to board a train at around 8:45 AM.
- Between her entry in the paid area at 7:17 AM and her reported boarding of a train, 10 regular trains and 2 skip trains stopped at Cubao Station.
- The 1st skip train only loaded a few passengers in GMA Station and arrived in Cubao Station at 7:25 AM.
- The 2nd skip train only loaded passengers in Quezon Ave. Station and arrived in Cubao Station at 8:06 AM.
- Per Ms. Cabiles’ post, it is unclear but it appears that she stayed inside the paid area of Cubao Station (i.e., pass the turnstile) between 7:17 AM and around 8:45 AM, or around 1.5 hours before boarding a train.
- It is still being investigated why Ms. Cabiles has not boarded a train despite the 10 regular trains and 2 skipping trains that stopped in Cubao Station during the 1.5 hours that she was already inside the paid area (i.e., pass the turnstile).
- Ms. Cabiles tapped her Beep card at the exit gate of Buendia Station at exactly 9:28 AM.
- Assuming that Ms. Cabiles arrived in Buendia Station at 9:15 AM as stated in her post, it is again still being investigated why it took her 13 minutes (i.e., from 9:15 to 9:28 AM) to exit Buendia Station after alighting from the train.
- Ms. Cabiles eventually exited Buendia Station at 9:33 AM after paying the overstay charge.
- Ms. Cabiles was the only passenger who boarded in Cubao Station and alighted in Buendia Station who was charged the overstay charge. It is still being investigated why the other passengers that entered Cubao Station at the same time as Ms. Cabiles and exited at Buendia Station at the same time as Ms. Cabiles were not identified by MRT-3’s Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) for having overstayed. It appears unlikely that Ms. Cabiles was the only passenger that boarded in Cubao Station and alighted in Buendia Station at that time.
- For Aug. 22, MRT-3’s AFCS recorded a total of 12 passengers, at different stations, who overstayed and were charged the overstay charge. MRT-3 carried 341,452 passengers on Aug. 22.
The above data are based on MRT-3’s review of the AFCS’s Central Computer System (CCS), CCTV recordings, and other relevant train operations information from the MRT-3 Control Center
On a more general level, MRT-3 wishes to note that in cases where there is a big volume of passengers who will be charged the overstay charge at the same time in a particular station, for example due to lack of trains or any service interruption, the Station Supervisor may override a turnstile so that affected passengers may exit without paying the overstay charge. This is part of MRT-3’s standard operating procedures.
DOTr and MRT-3 will continue to monitor and review the appropriateness of the 2-hours overstay parameter given the operating condition of MRT-3, and will also remind Station Supervisors to follow standard procedures in cases of service disruption or fewer than usual train availability (e.g., by overriding the overstay parameter in the turnstiles), with the objective of realizing both objectives of deterring overstaying and turnback of passengers for security reasons, and ensuring that passengers are not penalized for situations beyond their control.
We thank our passengers for the continued patronage, and we assure you that we are constantly reviewing our policies and operating procedures to ensure a better travel experience for our riding public.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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