The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is deploying additional entry gates and ticket booths at the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) station to cut down morning rush-hour queues and improve passenger flow for the roughly 27,000 daily commuters.
In a radio interview with DZRH on Tuesday, November 10, returning Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon announced that the improvements—featuring four new electronic gates and three ticket booths—are slated to open by the first week of December.
The interventions form part of the government’s push to fulfill presidential directives aimed at easing daily transit bottlenecks.
“Grabe yung pagpapasok ng LRT, napakahaba. Kaya tingin ko itong gagawin po natin bago mag-Pasko, base na rin sa direktiba ng Pangulo na lahat ng kayang gawin natin para maibsan yung araw-araw na commute ng mga kababayan natin, eh kailangan gawin natin,” Dizon said.
“Mukha pong yung dalawang gagawin natin bago mag-Pasko ‘yung [pag]bubukas nung entrance na northbound at pag-gagawing safe ‘yung pagpagpasok dun sa isang entrance na hindi masyadong nagagamit yung apat na e-gates tapos yung tatlong ticket booths,” he added.
While the northbound entrance has already been opened ahead of schedule, Dizon noted that full completion of the remaining upgrades will take roughly three weeks, which he estimates will cut queue volumes significantly.
“Siguro bigyan niyo lang kaming mga tatlong linggo, mabubuksan na. Pero yung north entrance, binuksan na namin. Tingin ko yan, kahit kalahati nung volume, mababawas,” he stated.
Underscoring a hands-on approach to governance, Dizon highlighted the necessity of direct field evaluations over desk-bound assessments.
“Minsan kasi hindi mo makikita yung problema at saka solusyon kung nasa aircon ka sa opisina. Kailangan talagang nandoon ka sa baba,” Dizon stressed.
Additionally, the transportation chief addressed public concerns regarding spatial allocation at the PITX terminal, where commercial stalls have drawn criticism for encroaching on passenger waiting areas.
He maintained that commuter welfare must take precedence over commercial interests.
“Naiintindihan ko naman po yung hirap ng buhay, pero hindi ito dapat at the expense nung… ang priority natin lagi, pasahero,” Dizon said.