MANILA, Philippines --- Commuters can better plan their trips via the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 with the help of an online video streaming that broadcasts the real-time status of all train stations especially during peak hours.
Passengers would be able to foresee the long queues at the train stations or avoid overcrowding aboard trains even before getting there by viewing the live video streaming available at www.dotcmrt3.gov.ph.
The status of the northbound and southbound platforms of all 13 stations from Taft Avenue in Pasay City to North Avenue in Quezon City is broadcasted live over the MRT 3's video streaming.
According to MRT 3 general manager Atty. Al Vitangcol III, the passenger monitoring system via live video streaming was launched last January 18 as a measure to help both passengers and operators of the MRT.
''The live video feed will allow passengers to check the crowd status at various stations and help them plan where and when to ride depending on the concentration of the people in the stations,'' he said.
''It also helps the management to dynamically plan train operations as it gives information on where the big concentration of passengers is at. The visual monitors will help us determine if we need to deploy trains that will skip certain stations to get to those heavily crowded ones,'' Vitangcol added.
The rail official said at least four Internet protocol cameras are installed in each of the 13 stations to monitor real time passenger movement. The video feeds are automatically channeled to the central server and streamed at the website for recording and broadcasting purposes.
''Before, our CCTVs are only able to monitor passenger movements. With the IP cameras, we don't only monitor but also record the videos, which we can review as the need arises,'' Vitangcol added.
