I BELIEVE everyone agrees that we have a traffic problem in our midst, and that Cebu City badly needs a mass transport system. In fact, the city should have gotten this years ago. As to the type of mass transport system that fit most streets of the city, experts know better say on that than politicians.
The debate on whether the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is fit for the city ity should not be left solely to political leaders. As suggested yesterday by Torni Frank in our radio program “Frankahay Ta” (dyCM1152AM), this issue should be submitted as a referendum question to the people of the city. They would be the beneficiaries of this project.
The verbal exchange on this has gone out of bounds. Government leaders should have discussed this matter intelligently inside their airconditioned offices, instead of bringing it out through the media. It has hurt some egos. Or, was it the real intention?
Funny but the BRT issue has reached the Cabinet level. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade is taking the cudgels for Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino while Mayor Tommy has the backing of NEDA Director General Ernesto Pernia.
To recall Pernia, in a conference in Cebu City weeks ago told Mayor Tommy that the implementation of the BRT project will proceed. Then days ago, we heard about the April 11 letter of Secretary Tugade and Dino addressed to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez calling for the scrapping of the BRT.
Tugade used as reasons those that Dino already stated before, adding that the BRT feasibility study (FS) was delayed by 60.82 percent. They say the FS should have been completed in December last year.
Some observers say the skirmish between Mayor Tommy and Dino is the product of hurt egos. It may be recalled that Mayor Tommy blocked the Ciudad project of the Dino family and the Province of Cebu during the time of then governor Gwen Garcia, now a third district representative.
But Cebu City north district Rep. Raul del Mar believes Tugade’s recommendation would not be followed because the project t already has funding. Besides, if the BRT project is cancelled, this could affect the relationship between our government with the international funding agencies that granted the loan.
Considering that some roads in Cebu City are narrow, the BRT should only serve the wide roads. If the BRT proponents would insist on including Talamban in the BRT route, they should note that there are narrow sections of the road. I could imagine the traffic there frozen for some minutes.
The BRT and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) do not compete with each other. Rather, they complement. The LRT cannot serve all the areas in Cebu City as it travels in a straight line. Thus, the BRT could complement the LRT.
In fact, Mayor Tommy said he does not object to the LRT project proposed by the group of Dino. But years ago, Mayor Tommy opposed the proposal by then congressman and now Talisay City Mayor Eddie Gullas to put up an LRT that will connect Talisay City with Mandaue city.
In the BRT routes, PUJs are transferred to other areas not yet served by the BRT. This could reduce the number of undisciplined PUJ drivers on the road. The BRT could also bring order in the streets because passengers could only board and get down in designated bus loading and unloading zones.
One of the factors that contributes to the heavy traffic in the city’s streets is the unbridled loading and unloading of the passengers by PUJ drivers despite the presence of PUJ loading and unloading zones. Worse, traffic enforcers just turn their backs on this kind of traffic violation.