Tom wants BRT trial run

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government is willing to finance the implementation of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit in the city.

This as the consultants hired by Mayor Tomas Osmeña to make a feasibility study revealed that BRT is a definite possibility in Cebu based on their initial review.

Osmeña said he is thinking of starting with the smallest BRT system where the city will do everything like the civil works, this includes the basic structures such as the terminal.

The mayor wants the private sector to do an assessment of the BRT before a public bidding can be done.

“If we just put it up for public bidding, we are not going to get a heavy competition because many people don’t like to get involved and bid for something new,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña told the consultants that the city will run first the BRT so that all the possible investors will be looking at it and see how it works.

The mayor explained that in the BRT system, the government will just collect the revenues and give a fixed share to the bus providers.

Colin Brader, director of Integrated Transport Planning Limited, and heads of the team for the feasibility study said that the study includes the traffic situation, the demand of the people, regulation required, how to design the system and other challenges.

“The BRT system could be operational through the end of 2012 if everything works very well,” Brader said. 

But Osmeña is eager to implement the said mass transport system in the coming months if the consultants will give him the go signal.

“If they say it’s okay, that’s what I want to do, that’s part of the learning process, we’ll do one, I said, choose the shortest one,” Osmeña said.

He further said he does not mind just three to four buses plying the Fuente Osmeña to downtown route just to see how it will work.

Brader is eyeing a minimum of 15 kilometers in the city for the implementation of the BRT system in two to three years.

The consultant is looking for the Talamban to Bulacao route where BRT can be possibly implemented in the expected length of time.

He said that in his experience, the project will cost $5 to $9 million per kilometer depending on the design and the demand among others.

Brader clarified the BRT can never go along with Light Rail Transport system contrary to the claim of the Department of Transportation and Communication Undersecretary for Railways, Guiling Mamondiong that they will complement each other.

“It is very difficult to imagine BRT and LRT operate at the same time because it really competes and will take the same passengers,” Brader said.

The BRT system works like the train system but uses stairless buses and can go anywhere aside from being cheaper to maintain and operate. — Elly Bolonos/BRP (THE FREEMAN)