The railway network service will soon connect us from Baclaran to Cavite. That will be 11.7 kilometers that will be added to the existing Light Rail Transit-1 (LRT-1).
Construction work on the extension of the LRT-1 extension finally started Tuesday, two years after its ground breaking ceremony.
The LRT-1 extension project will feature eight new train stations, five of which will be partially operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, said Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, who led the official start of actual construction.
The usual travel time of one hour and 10 minutes from Baclaran to Cavite and vice versa will be reduced to 25 minutes once the railway network is completed.
The project had its ground breaking ceremony in May 2017 but construction did not follow right away due to right-of-way issues.
The transportation chief said when the current administration assumed office “there was no right of way in 2016, in 2017. It is zero certification.”
“But after two years that zero certification is now more than 92 percent (completed). In other words, in terms of right of way, this project is a go,” Tugade said.
It was also disclosed that the LRT-1 Cavite extension is an 18-year pipe dream until yesterday.
Transportation Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John Batan said it has been 18 years since the project to extend LRT-1 to Cavite was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority.
In the span of two years, Tugade reported that informal settler families affected by the project have been relocated while additional light rail vehicles have started arriving into the country.
A deal to extend Baclaran Depot and build an additional depot for the vehicles have also been closed and now under way.
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Bad road accident
This week, there was a bad road accident that should serve to remind us to always be alert on the road – and to give attention to the maintenance of our vehicles.
Last Tuesday, a rear tire which exploded caused an accident which killed one passenger and injured 14 others.
Police investigation disclosed that a van was traveling along the northbound lane of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) in Lawang Bato, Valenzuela at around 8 a.m. when it slammed into the steel railings of the expressway, and flipped over.
Police Corporal Kristin Singayan, traffic division administrator, said that the rear tire of the vehicle exploded causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
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Toyota’s Biggest Summer Blowout
Toyota Motor Philippines is presenting its “Biggest Summer Blowout this May to make ownership of a Toyota car easier. The promo covers the Vios, Innova, Hilux,
Fortuner, and more.
Customers can choose to pay low with the all-in package at an affordable 15 percent down payment – and get free first year insurance and three-year LTO registration; or pay light with low monthly plans at 50 percent down payment and 60 months to pay. Outright cash discounts are also available.
Opting for a Pay Light package will let you own a Vios J MT through light monthly payments of P7,080 per month. For outright cash payments, you may get up to P110,000 savings for the Vios G and G+ variants. In addition to that, Vios G and E (including Prime) variants come with free maintenance package up to 20,000 kilometers.
Summer deals are also available for other models –P100,000 savings on the Hilux, as much as P90,000 on the Fortuner, and as much as P70,000 on the Innova. Promo runs until May 31 only.
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By Pinky Concha Colmenares
https://newsbits.mb.com.ph/2019/05/10/lrt-1-to-cavite/
