To oversee project implementation: TWG eyed for BRT

CEBU, Philippines — A Cebu City Council member yesterday suggested for Mayor Michael Rama to create a Technical Working Group (TWG) that will closely monitor and oversee the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT)

City Councilor Nestor Archival, Sr. said this is because he has doubts about the timeline of completion of the project, following an executive session that the City Council had last week to shed light on the delays experienced by the project.

“Ang ako unta kung naa lang gyuy ma-assign si mayor ani nga mo-focus unya ug kung naay mga problema nga i-point sa contractor,” he said.

Archival said he was not much satisfied with the explanations given during the executive session, adding that the City Council’s reason in calling in resource persons to the executive session was supposedly to hasten the completion of the CBRT.

It was Archival who requested the holding of the executive session following a privilege speech by Councilor James Anthony Cuenco last Jan. 10 on the “red flags” of the BRT project, particularly on the delay in its implementation.

The executive session was conducted last Feb. 7, wherein Department of Transportation (DOTr) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-7 representatives spoke about the timeline of completion of each of the four BRT packages.

Overall, the CBRT is projected to be finished on Dec. 31, 2027.

“Considering nga from now until 2027, sa akong assessment ba, na mura’g musaka pa gyud ni siya considering nga kani pa ganing Package 1 nga ilang gitan-aw nga Capitol to (Cebu) South Bus Terminal, makita ninyo nga klaro kaayo nang dalan, straightforward man unta ang trabaho, pero ang nahitabo, 2.38 kilometers gud ni, so ang nahitabo pirte man gyung dugaya,” Archival said.

He said that if delays have already been observed with Package 1, which consists of a simple straightforward route, how much more with the other packages.

The whole CBRT is at 35.28 kilometers, with Package 1, labeled as “Trunkline,” consisting of the 1.38-kilometer span of Osmena Blvd. from the Capitol to the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT).

“Considering nga kini ra ganing muboa, perti na ganing dugaya, how much more aning ubang packages?” Archival said.

Package 1 was promised to be done in the first quarter of 2023, then in the second quarter, then in the third quarter, and then it got pushed further back to the second quarter of 2024.

“Which again, I doubt,” Archival said.

He said Package 1 took that long already, how much more for Package 2, which is composed of two routes and stretches for 10.8 kilometers.

“Southtrunk” of Package 2 is from the South Road Properties (SRP) to the CSBT via N. Bacalso Ave., while the north section is from the Capitol to the Cebu I.T. Park via N. Escario St., Gorordo Ave., Archbishop Reyes Ave. Package 2 also includes a terminal and a depot at the SRP.

Meanwhile, Package 2 North will consist of the route of Escario Street, Capitol, and Gorordo Avenue. The whole stretch of package 2 is at 10.8 kilometers.

Package 3, on the other hand, will stretch from Cebu I.T. Park to Barangay Talamban and the SRP to Talisay City, for a total distance of 22.1 kilometers. It would include two terminals and three feeder lines with bus stops.

Packages 2 and 3 were initially presented with a parallel completion date of the third quarter of 2023.

“Unya until now wa paman gyud ta ka sugod ani. Supposed to be 2024, mahuman ni og more or less June second quarter, so kini na daan, basically, usa na ni ka tuig,” said Archival.

He said that civil works for Package 2 includes land acquisition, which supposedly should have been worked on from the third quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2025.

He is set to file a resolution asking for updates on the CBRT land acquisition, which supposedly should be performed by the City Government. The P400-million budget, he said, has already been downloaded to the City Government.

“Kini siya (Package 2) duha ni siya ka tuig. Kung duha ni siya ka tuig (unya) himuon pa nimo siya, sa duha ka tuig muabot na ni siya sa 2027 second quarter,” Archival said.

He said Package 3 would be the toughest to finish, adding that he doubts that the 2027 target would be met.

The councilor said the problem is not on the execution of the civil works but still on the detailed engineering design, which he alleged is not there yet.

“I don’t know if nasugdan ba ni (detailed engineering design) or wa pa ba ni ma-bid (out) kay 2017 pa baya ni gipa-bid,” he said.

“Dili gyud ni mahuman sa 2027,” he added.

Despite what he foresees, Archival said that he also believes that as a whole, the CBRT would work and would still be economically viable once finished. — (FREEMAN)