MANILA -- Sen. Grace Poe on Thursday said the operations of Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) should be privatized, similar to Japan's train systems, which she described as "seamless."

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Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Services, was asked about her views on the Department of Transportation's (DoTr) plan to partner with a private firm to operate MRT-3 while retaining ownership of the assets.

"I agree that the MRT-3 operations should be privatized. As we’ve seen in the past, political interventions have caused more problems and inefficiencies to the MRT operations," Poe said in a statement.

She added that "Japan’s train systems are privately run and its operations are seamless."

Poe also cited the better performance of Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2, which are privately operated.

"The LRT line is also privately run and had been more efficiently operated compared to the MRT," she said.

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Poe said prospective operators should be "scrutinized properly."

"The government should also have some control in determining the fare matrix to prevent prohibitive and unfair price surges. The riding public’s welfare, convenience and safety, should be the priority," the senator said.

The DOTr on Monday clarified that MRT-3 is "not for sale" but admitted that turning over its Operations & Maintenance (O&M) to a private company is a "possibility."

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