Megawide to complete Phase 1 of Cavite BRT 'in about two years'

Megawide [MWIDE 2.56, down 1.5%; 49% avgVol] [link], the infrastructure and property development arm of Edgar Saavedra’s group of companies, clarified a recent report on its 42-station Cavite Bus Rapid Transit Project (Cavite BRT) to say that the total project cost of P1.87 billion will be “spread over the concession period of 30 years” and that MWIDE expects to complete Phase 1 of the Cavite BRT “in about two years.” MWIDE also clarified that “partial operations may start in September 2025.”

MB bottom-line: I have had my problems with the Cavite government over the years (mostly relating to their shambolic handling of the Sangley Point International Airport bidding process), but this project is a great example of something small (relative to a porky airport) that can transform a community. These are modest, low-tech stations and terminals, but (as the project info memo states) they will give Caviteños a form of transport that “has the potential to significantly enhance the mobility of those that live and work in the surrounding areas”, and that can also provide “high quality development in the surrounding areas” (near the stations) and “attract developments nearby” that could enhance the value of the transit-oriented network. Yeah, the ticket price is not big (P1.8 billion feels tiny), but this is the kind of certainty that developers can build around. Laying down plans and executing on those plans is frustratingly rare.

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