BRT project to start April

CEBU, Philippines —  Stalled for nearly a decade now, the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is finally inching closer to fruition with the procurement process set to start next week and construction hopefully by April.

“Inaprub ko yung procurement at mag-umpisa na ang procurement next week upang sa ganoon yung konstruksiyon nang BRT ay maumpisahan na sa Abril upang magkaroon na ng partial operability ang BRT bago matapos ang taong 2021,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said during the inauguration of the new Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 office on Wednesday.

The project, which was supposed to be operational by 2018, was approved on May 29, 2014 by the National Economic Development Authority board chaired by then President Benigno Aquino III.

Mark Steven Pastor, DOTr assistant secretary for road transport and infrastructure, said that the project bidding documents for the first package of the BRT project have been referred to the DOTR Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC).

Pastor said that they are targeting to complete this process by next week or end of January.

After clearance from SBAC, he said, the next step is advertisement and release of invitation to pre-qualify and bid.

“It is projected that the contract award will be by April and construction will start thereafter to reach the targeted December 2021 partial operability,” Pastor added.

In an earlier interview, Tugade said the BRT is part of Cebu Integrated Intermodal Transport System, which also includes monorail, cable car system, bikeways, intermodal terminals, park and drive facilities and walkways. He envisioned the system to see partial operability by the end of the fourth quarter of 2021.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino said that the BRT project, which aims to decongest Metro Cebu traffic, is a “sure thing to happen.”

“It will happen soon. We have to expedite (that) in order for us to have partial operability before the year ends,” Dino said.

Monorail, cable car

Tugade said that the Cebu Monorail is also expected to partially operate before the end of 2021. The implementation of a cable car system is also seen to have already begun by then.

“Napag-usapan din namin ni Secretary Dino kung paano mapabilis ang pag-umpisa din nang monorail. Kung ang BRT mag-umpisa this year, ganoon din ang monorail project at cable car system,” said Tugade.

Meanwhile, LTFRB-7’s new five-story building is located at 103 Gen. Echavez St., Lorega San Miguel, Cebu City, with its three floors intended for offices, the fourth floor as a mezzanine and the fifth floor a rooftop.

Dino said the new building’s opening comes timely as “we continue to innovate and modernize our public transport system in the country, such as embodied in the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.”

“May this new office building inspire us here at LTFRB 7 to work harder and better for national development, especially the transportation sector,” Dino said. — JMD (FREEMAN)