"LRTA has outdone itself in 2005. More trains are running due to faster and more transparent procurement of parts for downed trains. More passengers are taking the train because of the low fare rates and more efficiency. Overall, the net losses are smaller due to better planning and management," he said in his report.

The JICA management consultant said that financially, the LRTA did "better than expected. It was able to closely monitor its financial position every month, expedite its capitalization from the government, outline a financial recovery plan, and optimize human resources allocation and training strategy."

He also noted that as a result of better processes and systems, LRTA’s net losses had been drastically reduced from P1.463 billion in 2004 to P829.75 million in 2005.

LRTA Line 1 (Baclaran to Monumento) surpassed its monthly target of 74,282,309 passengers and had 76,809,417 actual passengers in 2005. LRTA Line 2’s (Santolan, Pasig to Recto) target ridership of 29,391,704 was exceeded at 30,214,022.

Kikukawa said the 3.4 percent and 2.8 percent variances to the targets for Lines 1 and 2 are "very remarkable," particularly for the 25-year-old trains and tracks of LRTA Line 1.

He noted that 75 light rail vehicles were operational in early 2006 as vehicles that have not been in use for 10 years were repaired and put into service. When the present LRTA administrator, Mel Robles, took over in September 2004, only 64 trains were running.