Dino hits Tom on BRT project

CEBU, Philippines —  Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino said yesterday that the original plan for the Bus Rapid Transit in Cebu was a disaster waiting to happen and that it had to undergo major revisions.

“It did not consider the limitations of existing infrastructures. One cannot just conceptualize and introduce a new mode of transportation without a proper integration model that blends design with urban landscape seamlessly,” said Dino a press statement.

Dino was reacting to former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s statement blaming him for the delay of the BRT.

Osmeña told the media that he has been working on the BRT for ten years but Dino stole it from him.

Dino, however, said he did not steal the BRT project from Osmeña.

“It is not his in the first place. It is both a national and local initiative, now redesigned, recalibrated and revised for the good of the Cebuano people,” Dino said.

Dino also disputed Osmeña’s claim that the BRT project was delayed unnecessarily, saying that the present BRT abides by the law and does not circumvent any process, including feasibility studies, appropriation of funds, expropriation of necessary lots, and road widening, among others.

“The current CEBRT of DOTr and Cebu City is nearing its partial operability and it is paired with another project, the digital traffic system,” Dino said.

The OPAV secretary said that with changes in the project’s technical design, the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System (CEBRT) as part of the Cebu Integrated Intermodal Transport System (CIITS) now covers a 35-kilometer road corridor of which, 13.2 kilometers are dedicated bus ways from the South Road Properties (SRP) in the southeast to the north and, 22.1 kilometers of three segments considered as feeder services.

These feeder segments are: Mambaling-Talisay stretching 8.7 km; SRP-Talisay with 8.2 km stretch; and, IT Park to Talamban stretching 5.2 km.

This is far better, Dino said, than the original 21.58 kilometer corridor route with 16 kilometers of segregated bus lanes.

He said that this new concept of the CIITS, which includes the CEBRT, now boasts of a world-class design that suits the tropical climate of Cebu.

He said that public transportation should not only focus on a singular mode but on a network of different modes that are interconnected harmoniously so that people can have ease of access and convenience of travel.

“Should Tommy pursue his version of the BRT Project, Cebu City and perhaps its neighboring LGUs would have plunged into a chronic traffic gridlock.  The dreaming Tommy’s BRT design was not meant to alleviate traffic in Cebu City, a problem he never really effectively addressed as Mayor for 30 years. It was more for personal gain,” the presidential assistant said.

He added that Osmeña’s BRT is a disaster only meant to worsen the state of land traffic in Cebu City, recalling what Osmeña said: The latter said “Kung gusto mog walay traffic, pamalhin mog Tuburan.”

Dino said that Osmeña only wants to get the credit for the CEBRT project and that the original plan made during the former mayor’s  time is no longer feasible that is why the DoTr has to make changes in order for it to work.

“Tommy is becoming so desperate to get back into power that he just fires his shots without first validating his claims. I didn’t think he’s be this petty, nor pathetic,” Dino further said. – LPM (FREEMAN)