PH: When will they get the basics right?

[drbubb]

PH: When will they get the basics right?

 

MAINTENANCE of public transport: this is essential and fundamental to improving Daily Life in Manila

 

There are some damaging allegations in today's Philippines Star

 

First Person / Alex Magno / "Maintenance"

 

Summary:

"We are never really sure the trains will take us where we want to go"

 

+ The rail line appears to have broken down more frequently... with passengers forced to walk

+ Breakdowns began as soon as the system opened in 2000 -but now the maintenance provider has not been paid for 9 months

+ The signaling system (supplied by Canadian firm Bombardier) was not right from the start

+ The tracks are old and not level, increasing maintenance requirements

 

But THIS part is truly shocking:

 

"Jun Abaya...

...was the official responsible for quickly putting in place the LRT-1 extension, and finding a service provider for MRT-3.

He contracted Chinese company Dalian to supply trains to replace the battered rolling stocks of the MRT-3"

However:

+ There were constant delays in deliveries of functioning trains

+ It turns out that Dalian was NOT a light rail manufacturer

+ The trains were delivered without engines and withour signaling systems

... meaning they were not capable of being tested at the factory - "they were merely decorative"

 

Abaya says that the contracts were negotiated during Mar Roxas' time at the DOTC - he "merely signed them"

 

NoyNoy Aquino and Abaya promised in 2013 that "they would have themselves run over" if the trains were not delivered in 2 years.

(Neither promise was kept.)

 

BURI the maintenance company says the it has delivered on its contract, getting the old trains operating

So say there is a darker motive in not paying the company for its work over the last nine months.

So think they want to see the company give up, so it can be replaced with another company

 

Meantime, the DOTC has been accused by BURI of delaying the contract to replace the rails (a necessary improvement)

 

What a mess!

[drbubb]

The next step? Find a new maintenance company?

 

MRT-3 maintenance deal must be terminated - DoTr / Business Times section of The Manila Times

 

The Department of Transport said it wants to terminate the P3.8 billion contract of Busan Univeral Rail Inc. (BURI) as maintenance provider of the Metro Rail Transit-3.

 

DoTr claims:

+ BURI is not meetng the terms of the maintenance contract

+ BURI should have overhauled 17 cars by now, but has not delivered a single coach

 

DoTr has reduced the monthly payment to BURI by P5.8million, because there was not sufficient evidence of proof of purchase of capital spare parts (whatever that means.)

 

They are considering putting the MRT line under the management of the Light Rail (LRT) authority

[drbubb]

Collecting Taxes the Filipino way... is inefficient

 

Notes an extracts from article:

 

Fiscal Federalism: Its relevance to the Philippines

From where we sit / Eleanor Roque, Manila Times, pg.B1, today

 

NOTES:

Tax collection to GDP is barely 11 percent in 2015

+ Local revenues account for only 34 percent of total funding for the regions

+ Local governments have the power to collect revenues, but are not very good at doing that,

because of small local tax base, low collection effort, dependence of revenues shared by the national govt

 

Large Tax payers services account for 63 percent of total collections

[drbubb]

COMMENT

(this is from E. on the RE-Mastermind Viber chat):

 

"Yes, it's really the problem in the Philippines..

it is always a reactive situation because of the highly politicized government.. Every administration has its own program and plans, that is why, there is no continuity in long term planning.. the MRT is an example of project that has not really complied with the plans because it even divide Pasay City when they decided to build the MRT on the level rather than elevated rail.. see what happen.. there are a lot of projects pending or have not push through because of politicized system..

 

just a simple example.. plate numbers of motor vehicles?? Until now, most of the vehicles have no plate number??

It started during the time of Pres. Aquino... till now, no plate numbers??? "

Ha ha

[drbubb]

Traffic troubles can be solves with better mass transport and better regulation

 

Can Danny Lim solve Metro Manila's traffic? - Market Monitor, May29-Jun4th

 

Suggestions from Ed Javier:

==

1. Get rid of syndicates, tying up parking spaces, etc

2. Study number of buses passing along EDSA. Numbers can be dramatically reduced:

Many are "rolling coffins" that are near empty: old and with very few passengers

3. Taxi and transport licenses should be reviewed

4. Intensify operations against "colorum" vehicles (whatever they are)

5. MRT and LRT can be extended, to join up at SM North EDSA

 

Transport heads need to do a better job at anticipating consequences of their policies before they are implemented

 

"P100 million per day is lost on traffic congestion"

- but that is an "old" figure. Could be P150-200 mn DAILY by now

[drbubb]

Progress

 

LRMC: Rehabilitation of LRT-1 coaches completed

 

LIGHT RAIL Manila Corp (LRMC) on Wednesday said it has completed the P1-billion rehabilitiation program for the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) coashes that will increase capacity and allow deployment of additon trips on the mass rail line

 

+ The restoration of 25 light rail vehicles (LRV's) expanded the fleet to 102 as of end May, up from only 77 when the company took over in 2015

 

LRMC is a consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp (MPIC), Ayala Corp, and Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings (Philippines). It will operate and maintain the LRT-1 for 32 years. It will extend the line from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite.