DOTr Assistant Secretary for Railways Jorjette B. Aquino and MRT-3 officials met with delegates of the ASEAN-Japan Transport Partnership (AJTP) today, for an accessibility inspection of MRT-3 Shaw Boulevard Station and its facilities.
Asec. Aquino and the delegates met at the Ayala Station where they took the train going to Shaw Boulevard Station.
"On behalf of the Department of Transportation, it is my honor to welcome all of you to this joint event. Today marks a significant milestone in our collective journey towards providing better transportation services to the Filipino people, as we are especially privileged to have the AJTP delegates in attendance to share with us their expertise in ensuring safe, efficient, accessible, and inclusive transport," Asec. Aquino said.
After the visual inspection, the delegates sat down with the officials to discuss their recommendations on making the MRT-3 facilities more accessible to persons with disabilities and the elderly.
The delegates, composed of accessible transport expert and standards designer Dr. Tetsuo Akiyama; Eco-Mo Foundation Deputy Director Daisuke Sawada; and members of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), discussed their recommendations on improvement of comfort rooms, escalators, elevators, signages, and other areas.
Asec. Aquino thanked the delegates and said the DOTr is looking forward to engaging further with the AJTP to provide more accessible services to passengers.
"The transportation sector plays a vital role in shaping the social and economic landscape of any country. In this context, improving our transit stations is not just a technical challenge; it is a fundamental step in making our societies more equitable. How we treat the most vulnerable of our public transport-users should be the baseline of our design, services, and operations," Asec. Aquino said.
"The DOTr looks forward to engaging with the AJTP to drive meaningful change to ensure seamless and inclusive transport systems throughout the country," she added.
