BRT may face kinks in Cebu

BRT may face kinks in Cebu

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said there are big problems in road-right-of-way (RROW) acquisition for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and other projects in Metro Cebu.

Engr. Nonato Paylado, chief of the DPWH 7 planning and design department, said this widening problem is coupled with issues such as the prohibition on tree-cutting.

A few years ago, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) filed charges against the contractor of the concreting and widening of Serging Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City.

DENR 7 Director Emma Melana said that based on the record, the contractor has applied for a permit to cut the trees, but he cut the trees without waiting for the approval.

Melana said a tree-cutting permit will

really be issued on government projects. She urged DPWH contractors to apply for a permit and wait for its approval.

Project

Meanwhile, Paylado said the BRT is a joint project of the Cebu City Government and the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

“As far as the BRT project is concerned, they (Cebu City and DOTr) are just consulting us with regard to road-right-of-way. They are just trying to get some inputs from us,” Paylado said.

He said projects that involved RROW are really a problem because the process is tedious, time-consuming and a lot of factors have to be considered.

“There is already a new right-of-way law wherein there have been some changes in the acquisition of properties that will be affected by projects,” Paylado said.

He said the new law will entail additional time because of the procurement of a third party appraiser who will determine the cost of structures and lots that will be affected by projects.

In the past, DPWH just coordinated with the local assessor in determining the cost of properties.

But in the new law, there will be another bidding process because they are now required to bid out the third party appraisal.

“Our legal section finds it difficult to pursue land acquisition because of some problems on documents as regards land ownership,” Paylado said.

He said they cannot afford that projects will be stalled for so many years without any progress because of RROW problems.