A step in the right direction

In a step towards achieving a modern mass transport system, the Mandaue City Council has authorized Mayor Luigi Quisumbing to sign a memorandum of understanding with a Manila firm for a study on the possibility of establishing a monorail system in the city.

This development comes amid the city's worsening traffic problem that prompted officials to scramble for immediate solutions. Proponents of the project have assured that it would serve as a long-term solution to the problem besetting the city for years already.

Since the other year, the city government has been aggressively implementing road widening projects. But this only brought minimal impact to the effort to ease heavy congestion, especially along major thoroughfares.

The problem is that since it became a city, there has been little infrastructure development in Mandaue to complement its fast-rising economy. Its previous officials seemed to have failed to anticipate its significant role as a center of many industries in the province.

Like nearby Cebu City, Mandaue has been, in recent years, struggling to find solutions to this serious traffic problem that is already starting to take a heavy toll on the city's economy. And just like its more prosperous neighbor, Mandaue has no integrated mass transport system.

Aside from the traffic problem, the outdated drainage system is also another major concern that the Mandaue City government should immediately address. It's undeniable that flooding has already become a nightmare haunting city residents during the rainy season.

It's good that the Mandaue government is finally taking steps to modernize its mass transport system. We do hope to see the monorail running in the near future. But to realize the plan, the city should leave no stone unturned for its speedy implementation.

Real development is only possible in a place where infrastructure is modern and sustainable. Once it starts to roll, the monorail system will certainly be a game changer as it will surely spur more investments in Mandaue and its neighboring areas.