Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II has ordered a review of the build-lease-transfer agreement it entered into with the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC) to ensure that the railway system is managed properly in light of the frequent service interruptions.

Roxas met with top officials of MRTC and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) to ensure passenger safety by improving its operation and maintenance.

In particular, Roxas instructed MRTC General Manager Roger Vitasa and Operations Director Renato San Jose, and LRTA Administrator Raffy Rodriguez to review the provisions in the 1977 agreement, saying it is no longer responsive to the present maintenance requirement.

Besides the review, the officials were also told to upgrade the railway’s signaling software system and improve its maintenance contract provisions and service standards.

The existing signaling software system is DOS-based, making it more sensitive to power fluctuations. When the uninterrupted power supply collapses, it takes longer to reboot and normalize train operations, like what occurred on July 28.

“The alert systems of both the LRT and MRT place a premium on safety. Automatic safety protocols are well in place and working perfectly that the slightest incident would prompt interventions. While this may result in some passenger inconvenience, it ensures the welfare of the public,” said Roxas in a statement.

In the existing agreement, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)-MRT 3 is in-charge of the operations of MRT, while the MRTC is responsible for its maintenance.

The MRTC contracted Sumitomo of Japan, which in turn, subcontracted TES-Philippines, to do the maintenance work. The DOTC reimburses MRTC for the overall cost of maintenance.

As part of the stop-gap measures, Roxas also directed MRT officials to put more pressure on the MRTC and Sumitomo to be more vigilant in implementing preventive measures.

He also ordered the group to form a pool of engineers to monitor the maintenance and operations of both MRT and LRT.

“The safety of the riding public is our primordial concern. Several incidents the past few days that arose from automatic safety triggers showed that the safety protocols are working to prevent potentially catastrophic incidents. Nonetheless, these should not be a convenient excuse for hiding behind lapses in operational maintenance,” Roxas said.