If you've been on an MRT train in the past couple of days, you may have noticed something strange — from among other things, full personal protective equipments (PPE) that have become familiar wear for the medical frontliners are now being used by depot personnel, too.
The move was in line with amendments to health protocols within MRT stations to protect employees and commuters against COVID-19 and prevent the spread of the virus inside offices and depots.
With the significant rise in the number of people taking public transportation amid the easing of quarantine regulations on employees heading back to work and with over 200 depot personnel getting infected with the coronavirus, health and safety measures are now strictly enforced within Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) stations and trains for the safety of commuters.
Here are 7 things you need to know before riding the MRT-3:
1. About 17 train sets, including 16 CKD train sets and a Dalian train set, are operating on the MRT-3 line. Each train set can accommodate 153 passengers, 51 per train car. It also maintains a one-meter distance between passengers inside the train. The line normally opens at 5:30 a.m.
2. Each passenger must fill out a health declaration form. It is distributed to passengers while queuing, before undergoing full-body checking and entering the turnstile area inside the station. This method will serve for contact tracing.
3. Before entering, passengers must undergo a temperature check. Passengers with a temperature of 37.8 degrees celsius and above will not be allowed to board the bus as a proactive measure in keeping them virus-free.
4. Wearing a face mask is also strictly enforced within the line facility at all times.
5. Answering cell phone calls or any digital devices of passengers and speaking inside the train is also prohibited. This is to prevent the spread of the virus through respiratory droplets that come from speaking, coughing and sneezing.
6. To protect MRT-3 employees and their passengers, all station personnel, including ticket sellers, security guards and janitorial services, are wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE).
7. The bus augmentation service is available from Monday to Sunday, 4:00AM to 9:00PM, from the North Avenue station to Taft Avenue station (both bounds).
Passengers going southbound will be picked up in the North Avenue and Quezon Avenue stations and will be dropped off in Ortigas, Guadalupe, Ayala and Taft Avenue stations. Meanwhile, passengers going northbound will be picked up in Taft Avenue and Ayala stations and will be dropped off in Ayala, Guadalupe, Ortigas, Quezon Avenue and North Avenue stations.
Any thoughts?
Share your ideas by commenting.
Image from DOTr-MRT3
If you have read this blog post here, I like to inform you that the original post is at https://emongsjournals.blogspot.com