R.I.P. BRT

lAST week saw the demise of the Metro Manila BRT line 1 project after the World Bank granted the Philippine government’s request to cancel its loan agreement amounting to $64 million. This is unfortunate considering that the BRT project could have greatly alleviated our current transport crisis in Metro Manila, especially in the perennial bottleneck of a corridor that is Quezon Avenue-españa Boulevard, connecting the two most populated cities of Quezon City and Manila. The BRT project was projected to shelve half the present travel time from the two city halls of Manila and Quezon City, with a projected ridership of 300,000 passengers per day. This would practically almost equal the same ridership as that of the Metro Manila subway (370,000), which costs a staggering 100 plus times more ($7 billion). Unfortunate because the cancellation could have been avoided.

For those who are unfamiliar with the BRT system, it basically refers to a public transport mode, in

this case, made up of specially built buses that operates on a fixed line, similar to a train but without the

The World Bank cited several reasons for the failure of the project to move forward. The reason of pandemic slowdown notwithstanding, noteworthy were the other reasons cited, namely: the “inexperience” of the BRT program management office, lack of general budget management allocation and inefficient procurement management.

rail system. Made popular in Bogota, Colombia in the 1990s, it became a preferred mode of transport for developing countries for the obvious reason that it is way cheaper than a rail system, not to mention that a BRT line fits the narrow road corridors in third world urban areas. For a quick comparison, a light rail costs $100 million/km; ground rail around $200 million/km, and a subway at a staggering $300 million/ km. A BRT, on the other hand, costs just $10 million/km. There are other advantages. BRTS are faster to construct, easier to maintain and easier to expand, lessen or modify, which means the BRT can adjust to current traffic trends if need be. However, this does not mean that we can do away with rails. In the transport ecosystem, both rail-based and roadbased transport systems are needed, having their inherent strengths that complement each other. In fact, successful railway lines in major corridors worldwide are linked to road transport such as trams and buses, making travel seamless and therefore more beneficial for commuters.

Going back to the cancellation of the BRT project, the World Bank cited several reasons for the failure of the project to move forward. The reason of pandemic slowdown notwithstanding, noteworthy were the other reasons cited, namely: the “inexperience” of the BRT program management office, lack of general budget management allocation and inefficient procurement manage