Gullas, Radaza back LRT system for Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Two more Cebu officials supported President Rodrigo Duterte's plan to put up a light rail transit (LRT) in Cebu, believing that this will address the traffic problem here.

First District Rep. Gerald Anthony "Samsam" Gullas said he will support the creation of a bill seeking to grant the president emergency powers to fix the perennial traffic problem in Cebu and other areas in the country.

Gullas said he was actually happy that Michael Dino, the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, is very supportive of the plan putting up an LRT system in Cebu.

"Nalipay lang sad g'yud ko when I talked to Secretary Michael Dino and gi-echo usab sa president sa iyang SONA (State of the Nation Address)," he said.

He added that he is hopeful that the planned transportation system will be established soon.

"So I'm hopeful. It is one of the priority projects of the president and I'm very hopeful that it can be achieved in his term, hopeful they can put things together and the most important thing, nga mabuhat ang LRT," Gullas said.

Part of his conversation with Dino was the arrival of Singapore experts in Cebu for the LRT study.

Dino earlier assured Cebuanos that the project will be realized under Duterte's term as mass transportation is needed in Cebu.

During his first term as Congressman, Gullas filed House Bill 1338 seeking for the implementation of an LRT system in Cebu. The bill was then referred to the House Committee on Transportation.

Meanwhile, Gullas said he does not have any problems with another transportation system - the bus rapid transit (BRT) - which is also being eyed for Cebu.

"As I've always said, in BRT, I have so much respect for that study and I've always said dili sila dapat magkontra, both of them should co-exist. The more mass transportation, the better for Cebu City," he said.

Radaza

For Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, a railway transit system in Cebu will help solve the traffic problem.

But the LRT system must be further studied though, she said.

 "I think it won't create traffic congestion, basta properly coordinated lang with the neighboring cities and there's scheduled time for picking up passengers," Radaza said in her press conference last Wednesday.

She added that the system should not affect other means of transportation such as public utility vehicles, jeepneys and tricycles.

"But of course, this does not mean nga mawala ang uban nga mga sakyanan," she said.

Meanwhile, Nigel Paul Villarete, general manager of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, said that the LRT system should be studied whether it is "economically viable" in Cebu.

"We have to wait for the details of the study to show whether it is economically viable or not — there is a process in NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) to determine that and DOT (Department of Tourism) has to revisit its own study because their comprehensive 2011 Metro Cebu Public Transportation Strategic Plan already indicated all the recommendations for public transportation here until 2030 which include BRTs and High Quality Express Bus Lines," he said.

In a recent report, Governor Hilario Davide and Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella also welcomed the plan to put up an LRT system in Cebu. (FREEMAN)