The management of the MRT-3 on Thursday apologized to the passengers affected by the build-up of long lines at the stairway and footbridge area of Ortigas Avenue station on Wednesday, June 1.
In a statement, the management said the inconvenience was "due to a defective escalator being closed to the public for safety reasons."
"During normal operations, the escalator is used as access of MRT-3 passengers, bus passengers, and passers-by going to and from nearby malls, while the stairway is used by exiting MRT-3 passengers. The closure of the escalator resulted in a single entry and exit at the northbound stairway of the mix of passengers and passers-by," the management said.
"The narrow walkway at the street-level area contributed to the build-up as only one person can walk through at a time. However, no long queues were observed inside the MRT-3 platform and concourse area," it added.
Photos and videos of people cramming up in Ortigas Ave. Station circulated on social media.
According to the MRT-3 management, security personnel immediately implemented a "stop-and-go" scheme to control and manage the crowd.
"The technicians from the subcontractor of MRT-3's maintenance provider who were earlier alerted of the situation arrived at the station to troubleshoot and repair the escalator. Passenger flow was also normalized at around 9:30 AM," it said.
"We extend our deepest apologies to all our passengers who were inconvenienced by the incident."
The MRT-3 is currently implementing an extension to its free rides to all its passengers until June 30, 2022.
