BRT FUNDS AT RISK?

If Cebu won’t have a BRT, transfer funding to Metro Manila instead, Rep. Bayani Fernando asks DOTr, Lower House That won’t happen, says Mayor Tomas Osmeña; House asks DOTr to explain ‘withdrawal’ of 3 BRT projects, including that of Cebu

Rep. Bayani Fernando (Marikina City, 1st District) has proposed to the House of Representatives to transfer the funds for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Cebu City to the BRT project in Metro Manila.

Fernando told Sunstar Cebu that the House’s committee on transportation, which is evaluating his proposal, is considering it since the BRT lines on Epifancio Delos Santos Ave. (Edsa) and Commonwealth Ave. in Metro Manila are now ready.

The project, however, still needs more funds.

Fernando said that the Edsa and Commonwealth roads are BRT-ready because these are wider than the narrow roads in Cebu City.

He said the roads in Cebu City still need to be widened, which will affect hundreds of businesses.

Fernando, former chairman of the Metro Manila Develop- ment Authority (MMDA), said that if the funds are transferred by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), MMDA can start procuring BRT buses and computers for its operations.

Fernando said that what prompted him to ask for the transfer of the BRT funds was the letter of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade to the House of Representatives.

DOTr informed Congress that the agency has put on hold the implementation of the BRT in Cebu City because of some problems like narrow roads, and may abandon or cancel it.

According to the congressman, the BRT project in Manila has already been approved and funded but it needs about 10 percent more of the BRT’s total cost so it can be completed.

Last week, though, lawmakers of the House of Representatives asked DOTr to explain why it withdrew the BRT projects in three areas.

These are the 12.3-kilometer Metro Manila BRT Line 1 (Quezon Memorial Circle to España Blvd.) worth P4.8 billion, the BRT Metro Manila Line 2 (Central Corridor or Edsa BRT) worth P37.8 billion and the 23-kilometer Cebu BRT worth P16.3 billion.

Sought for comment about Fernando’s pronouncement, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will just hold his ground.

“It’s so sad to hear that Bayani Fernando, whom I respected, would suggest transferring funds from our BRT. Anyway, it won’t happen. I’m just disappointed,” he said.

“He, his wife and I were all city mayors. At one point, he was the Department of Public Works and Highways secretary when I toured him around the South Road Properties. He did look a little jealous but I didn’t think much of it. Now he seems to be behaving like an alimango (crab) that may pull others down,” the mayor added.

Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north district), however, said that there is no proposal pending in Congress that seeks to transfer the funds for the BRT project to Metro Manila.

“During the last two hearings of the committee on transportation, there were complaints on the delay of the Metro Manila BRT project. This spurred me to also complain about the delay in the implementation of the Cebu BRT project and made a motion for the Department of Transportation to continue the implementation of the project. The motion could not be acted upon because after counting the number of members, there was lack of members to constitute a quorum,” he told SunStar Cebu. /