DOTr exec says BRT is a go
Cebu City's Bus Rapid Transit system will proceed as planned, but using the inter modal system and integrated concept.
Mark Richmund de Leon, Department of Transportation assistant secretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure, said that they have already mobilized the Technical Support Consultant (TSC) this week.
De Leon said that the TSC will be presenting a mobilization report on how to proceed with the project and will also provide policy directions on how this project should be undertaken.
He added that the TSC is given six months to eight months to close the task, then the DOTr can already proceed with the finalization of the detailed engineering design. After that, the BRT construction will then commence.
He said DOTr will study through the TSC the viability of some sections and if there is a need to change alignments or if there is a need to improve the current designs of the BRT, so as to make sure there will be less impact to the current traffic problem in Cebu.
"The secretary’s (Tugade) policy direction is that there is no single project that can solve Cebu's traffic problem. It should be integrated, intermodal and complementary to each other," said de Leon.
He added that in some areas there will be dedicated lanes but there are some of the portions of the BRT, especially the Talamban area and the southern portions along Escario, that are narrow.
"So, kailangan aralin, we will study through the TSC the viability of some sections," he said.
De Leon added that with the operation of Terminal 2 of Mactan Cebu International Airport, more traffic is expected.
In fact, he said that for the past two years, Cebu experienced a double digit vehicle registration growth among all regions.
"Dito ang may pinakamabilis (growth in cars registration), talo pa yung Metro Manila. We are expecting more traffic so dapat maimprove yung public transportation so people will just use the public transportation instead of buying cars in Cebu," de Leon further said. –