By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) on Friday warned the public against circulating misinformation on social media that claimed heavy passenger congestion on the rail line.
In a statement, the MRT-3 said a post on social media showed that at around 6:30 a.m. on Friday, there was heavy passenger congestion at Ayala Station, with the video showing a large number of passengers boarding the train.
“Upon thorough verification, no significant queue or congestion was recorded at Ayala Station during the said time. Reports from the Station Base confirm that passenger volume across all MRT-3 stations, including Ayala Station, remained light during this period,” it said.
In particular, the MRT-3 reviewed closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the station from 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., which showed no passenger congestion at the station platform.
The video was posted by @itsmerolandogarcia09 on Threads, but has since been deleted.
“Additionally, there are noted inconsistencies in the circulating post. The same user who uploaded the video also shared content indicating that he was traveling along Commonwealth Avenue (southbound) at around 8:30 a.m., which does not align with the claim that the video was taken at Ayala Station at 6:30 a.m.,” the MRT-3 management said.
In addition, a similar image showing congestion at the Ayala Station platform first circulated on social media on Wednesday, April 8.
“This incident was verified and attributed to a temporary track issue, which caused increased passenger volume at around 6:30 p.m. on that date,” it said.
In response, the MRT-3 has reached out to the uploader to verify the exact circumstances of the video.
“We urge the public to exercise caution and verify information before sharing, as misleading posts may cause unnecessary concern among commuters,” it said.
At around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, MRT-3 passengers reported delays along the southbound portion of the rail line.
In response, the MRT-3 said the delay was caused by a technical issue and was resolved at around 5:43 p.m., but the disruption coincided with the evening rush hour, causing a buildup of passengers. (PNA)
