Bus mishaps show need for Cebu MRT

MANILA, Philippines - Recent bus crashes that killed 36 people and injured 48 others highlighted the urgency of having a safe and modern overhead mass rail transit (MRT) system in Cebu, Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas said yesterday.

“The tragedies have put into question the viability of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) scheme being pushed by a number of local officials in lieu of the proposed Metro Cebu MRT system,” Gullas said in a statement.

“Offhand, the more buses we have on our roads, the greater the hazard to both commuters and pedestrians,” he said.

Gullas underscored the need for an elevated train for Cebu, which as of the 2007 census, already had 3.85 million dwellers, making it the country’s most heavily populated province.

“National and regional urban development planners can no longer ignore Metro Cebu’s need for an MRT system,” he said.

Compared to the BRT scheme, Gullas said, “An overhead train not only moves a far greater number of people faster over long distances, it is also definitely much safer for both commuters and pedestrians.”

“Depending on the MRT system’s number of trains, we can conveniently and securely move anywhere from 250,000 to 500,000 people every day across Metro Cebu, without congesting our roads and endangering pedestrians,” he said.

In comparison, one can just imagine the staggering number of buses required to move 250,000 to 500,000 people roundtrip through Metro Cebu every day, considering each carries only 60 passengers, he said.

“Actually, children are the ones most exposed and threatened by the BRT system. Many of our children walk to school and back home every day. They are extremely vulnerable to high-speed buses,” Gullas said.

He said the MRT system would not only lessen the need for buses and smaller public utility vehicles, but also the use of private cars.

“In Metro Manila, more people are taking the train. They are leaving their cars at home or in public parking spaces around terminals. Because they know they can reach their destinations on time without the hassle of navigating jam-packed roads,” Gullas said.

Gullas expressed hopes that President Aquino’s economic and transport planners would be more aggressive in fulfilling the MRT system for Central Visayas’ fastest-growing metropolis.

He said the system has become absolutely necessary to enable Cebu to keep pace with rapid population growth and economic expansion.

Gullas is the author of a bill seeking to require the Department of Transportation and Communication to prepare and execute a plan to establish and operate Metro Cebu’s first MRT system that would run from Carcar City in the south to Danao City in the north.

In Toledo City, 56 kilometers south of Cebu City, 15 people were killed and 48 others were injured last July 4 when a passenger bus rammed into a concrete fence.

In the municipality of Balamban, 50 kilometers west of Cebu City, a tourist bus fell into a ravine on June 6, killing 20 Iranians and the vehicle’s Filipino driver-owner.