Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project: Rama to revisit original route

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebu City Mayor Rama will bring up to new Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista his wish of revisiting the original route of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in the city.

“I will be including that in my talk when I get in touch with the Sec. of DOTr, Jaime Bautista,” Rama said.

“A new beginning, then refreshing and discussing anew,” Rama said, referring to the start of new leadership following the 2022 elections, including his fresh term as mayor.

Based on the 2021 report of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Cebu’s BRT project is supposed to have a 21.58-kilometer corridor route with 16 kilometers of segregated bus lanes from Bulacao to Ayala Center Mall along Natalio Bacalso Avenue, Osmeña Boulevard, and N. Escario Street.

A six-kilometer stretch of bus priority lanes through curbside stations at junctions will allow BRT buses to reach Talamban along Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue.

However, after some changes in the project’s technical design, the project now covers a 35-kilometer road corridor.

Of this, 13.2 kilometers are dedicated bus ways from the South Road Properties (SRP) in the southeast to the north with 22.1 kilometers of three segments considered as feeder services.

The feeder segments are 8.7 kilometers from Mambaling in Cebu City to Talisay City, 8.2 kilometers from the South Road Properties in Cebu City to Talisay City, and 5.2 kilometers from IT Park to Barangay Talamban.

Rama said DOTr should pursue the implementation of the BRT project aggressively – what with the pronouncement of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the project is a go.

“With the pronouncement of the President, DOTr should assume and be coming down and massively address and aggressively pursue the BRT,” Rama said.

Progress

Before the end of the Duterte administration, workers have earthballed trees seen to be affected by the BRT project.

Former DOTr Secretary Art Tugade also met with representatives of the World Bank and discussed updates on the project before his term ended.

Tugade believes a BRT system will help address the mobility needs of Cebu City. He had hoped his successor will continue the project.

DOTr said earlier that the BRT will be operational, albeit partially, by the third quarter of 2023. It is seen to operate fully by the first quarter of 2025.

Based on World Bank’s website, the project remains active, as of this writing.

The total project cost based on the 2014 approval is US$ 228.50 million. World Bank has noted that the total project cost includes funding from World Bank and non-bank sources in US$ millions.

Railways

Aside from the BRT, Rama is also expected to discuss the Cebu Railway System with Bautista as Marcos also said in his SONA that railways “continue to be the cheapest way of transporting goods and passengers,”

The Cebu Railway System will be integrated as a vital part of local transport and communication system, Rama said.

As of this writing, the Cebu railway project is still “For approval of relevant government bodies” as indicated in the website of the government’s Public-Private Partnership Center.

As also indicated in the website, the project, which costs P79.61 billion, involves the construction/development of approximately 27-kilometer rail transit system composed of the Cebu Central Line, a 17.7-kilometer elevated monorail transit system with 14 stations; the Cebu Airport Line, a 9.3-kilometer elevated monorail transit system six stations; and a 5-hectare depot facility to be located close to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA). – JMO (FREEMAN)