By Rappler.com | June 25, 2015

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) awarded to Jardine Schindler Elevator Corporation the contract for the restoration of the conveyance facilities at the aging Metro Rail Transit line 3 (MRT3) along EDSA.

The DOTC has awarded a P22.11 million ($490,022.30) contract to the company for the rehabilitation of the first batch of 12 Schindler-brand escalators at the mass transit system.

The project would cover escalators at the stations in:

• North Avenue (southbound)
• Quezon Avenue (southbound)
• GMA-Kamuning (southbound)
• Ortigas (northbound, street level)
• Shaw Boulevard (northbound, street and mid levels)
• Boni (northbound and southbound)
• Guadalupe (northbound)
• Buendia (southbound)
• Ayala (southbound)
• Magallanes (northbound)

The project aims to provide some relief to commuters especially senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women.

As the brand's exclusive distributor, Jardine Schindler holds proprietary rights to rehabilitate the first batch of escalators. It would undertake such works within 6 months from issuance of the notice to proceed.

The other batch of 34 escalators to be rehabilitated are under the Mitsubishi brand. This project is currently being procured separately, as well as another project for the total replacement of MRT3 elevators that became obsolete in 2013.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P1.207 billion ($26.75 million) to DOTC for the rehabilitation and the capacity extension of MRT3.

The fund will also cover the replacement of the signaling system and the rehabilitation of escalators and elevators of the train stations. Several other projects to enhance the line's safety, reliability, and convenience are in various stages of procurement or implementation.

On June 23, the transportation department will start receiving new coaches for the glitch-ridden Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) in late January 2016 as part of its long-term rehabilitation plan.

"As reported by the joint DOTC and MRT-3 team, the prototype is on-schedule for delivery in mid-August. The dynamic testing phase will start in November, which is when the prototype’s bogies will arrive,” Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in a statement Tuesday.