CBRT project hearings indefinitely postponed

CEBU, Philippines — The series of public hearings for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project supposedly set for next week had been postponed indefinitely.

No reason was given for the postponement.

There were four areas identified for the public hearing earlier including Barangays Pahina Central, Cogon Ramos and Mambaling in Cebu City, plus Talisay City College in Talisay, all of which had been postponed.

The public hearing under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System is a formal process that is initiated, planned and conducted to promote dialogue or communication among different stakeholders.

The purpose is focused around exchanging information and views on the environmental impacts assessment, management and monitoring for proposed projects as part of the review of their ECC application of the Cebu BRT, DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau-VII earlier said.

Based on the latest Environmental Performance Report and Management Plan, the project will have 90 bus stops/shelters along the mixed-traffic lines.

This includes 38 stops/shelter for Mambaling-Talisay, 26 for SRP-Talisay, and another 26 for IT Park to Talamban.

There will also be a BRT depot at the SRP covering 2.7 hectares with 70-bus capacity and with offices, and other facilities.

An area traffic control system, drainage system and a footbridge along the corridor/bus route and one at the SRP along with an inter-section improvement, access road, urban design and resettlement housing is also being laid out.

The Cebu BRT will be implemented in four phases with the ongoing construction at Osmeña Boulevard, under phase 1.

The Bulacao-Mambaling segment of the alignment had been noted to be retained in the ECC amendment application but will have to be implemented under package 4 or phase 2. – /GAN (FREEMAN)