SM Group has urged   government to submit a  concrete plan  for the  common station  of the three rail systems to settle the legal dispute that delays the  project’s construction.
 
Hans Sy, SM  Prime Holding Inc. president,  said the company has  agreed to  government’s  proposal to build two common stations in Quezon City but they need the concrete plan for the project.
 
“What was presented was only the concept— and we felt concept is not enough. We would appreciate if it was the complete set of plans,” Sy told reporters on the sidelines of  the launch Monday of the rebranded PAL Mabuhay Miles.
 
“You cannot approve on concept, if it’s a concept, it can still be changed,” Sy said.
 
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has been  negotiating with the  SM Group on a  compromise agreement setting up two common stations. SM Group’s concurrence  will be submitted to Supreme Court for the lifting of the temporary  restraining order it issued stopping the DOTC   from pursuing the common station project. 
 
Under the compromise, the first   common station  will be located near  SM North EDSA and which will be part of the Metro Rail Transit  (MRT) 7 while the second will be in front of rival mall, Trinoma.
 
“We are still open to what (government) they want (s) but we want something more fixed.” Sy said.
 
“Whatever (government)  want(s) we are okay. We are not even setting any conditions, we don’t want to set conditions,” he added.
 
The common station for the three rail systems was originally planned to be set up in front of SM North EDSA but government had proposed to locate it near Trinoma after a study showed it could  save as much as P1 billion in construction cost  on the site.
 
But  SM contested the planned transfer of the common station from SM to  Trinoma mall .
 
The Department of Justice opined the relocation violates the  agreement signed with LRT Authority in 2009 over building the common station near SM North EDSA as SM Group paid P200 million as naming rights to the station . 
 
The common station is part of the Light Rail Manila Corp.(LRMC) P65-billion Light Rail Transit Line 1  extension  Cavite project .
 
However,  the San Miguel Corp.- backed  Universal LRT Corp.  project proponent for (MRT 7 has been waiting for the government to settle the legal issues as the common station near SM will be constructed by the company.
 
LRMC , a consortium of Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC) and Ayala Corp.,  has the right to design the common station .