Cebu monorail proponent to introduce eBuses

CEBU CITY – The monorail proponent for Cebu City will introduce the electric bus (eBus) and is willing to donate one unit to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for test runs and training.

PhilTram Transportation Consortium, Inc. (PTCI) Chair Domingo Penaloza said the firm agreed to offer a demo electric-run BRT since the BRT and monorail can complement each other.

The proposed BRT converges in one station near Mambaling and connects to another near Fuente Osmeña, Penaloza said.

In a presentation to the Regional Development Council (RDC), Thursday, PhilTram officials said they have redesigned the monorail alignment, bypassing five kilometers from Bulacao Pardo to Cansaga in Consolacion.

PhilTram Chief Operating Officer Jose Guardo Jr. said it made the adjustment to conform to the position of Mayor Tomas Osmena and the planning division of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) after a series of coordination meetings.

Penaloza said that more than operating the monorail, “we also want to operate feeder point-to-point eBuses connecting Mandaue to Mactan-Cebu International Airport including Lapulapu City and Cordova.”

He further proposed other feeder eBuses to serve areas not covered by the BRT like Labangon, Guadalupe and Mabolo.

Also included in the plan is the provision of eJeepneys to jeepney operators at easy acquisition terms and connect the eJeepneys to the monorail stations, Penaloza said.

According to Lu Zhijun, senior consultant engineer of China Railway Engineering Consulting Group (CREC-CEC), the feasibility study will be submitted to DOTr in April, with the detailed engineering and design to follow during the rest of the year.

Zhijun said construction should proceed by 2019 and the project will be completed in two years. “The monorail will start its operation by 2021,” he said.