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Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Neda secretary supports LRT project in Cebu
Secretary Augusto Santos of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda) fully supports the proposed Cebu light rail transit (LRT) project of Rep. Eduardo “Eddiegul” Gullas.
“He (Santos) is very much in favor of this project because he knows the terrain in Cebu,” Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
The lawmaker said he pointed out in a meeting with Santos the need to establish an LRT in Cebu to address the rising population and traffic gridlock in Metro Cebu.
“I told him that of all the cities in the Philippines outside Manila, the most viable (highly-urbanized) area to have an LRT is Cebu. And I’d like to see this project start before the end of the 13th Congress,” he said.
According to Gullas, Santos advised him to resubmit the project’s funding scheme for approval by Neda-Investment Coordinating Committee (ICC) because the funding will no longer come from Japan’s Overseas Development Assistance.
Gullas said the European-based AMA Group will undertake the project under the build-operate-transfer scheme.
Gullas has filed House Bill (HB) 3006 that calls for the construction of an LRT in Metro Cebu “as a safe and economical mass transport system for the Cebuanos.”
He said the LRT’s line 1 or backbone line will start from the Lawaan highway corner Pook Road in Talisay City.
19 kilometers
From Talisay City, the railway will go to Cebu City passing the N. Bacalso Highway, before ending in Mandaue City. The route will cover 19 kilometers.
LRT stations will be set up along the way in areas where people usually converge, he said.
As initially planned, Gullas said the railway will pass Osmeña Blvd. in Cebu City towards the Cebu Provincial Capitol, then to SM City Cebu at the North Reclamation Area before going to Mandaue City.
Line 2, Gullas said, will also start from Talisay City down to the southern town of Carcar, Cebu.
Line 3, he said, will take off from Mandaue City and end up in the northern city of Danao.
“But that would take a long time yet. The most viable right now is line one,” Gullas said.
What is advantageous to this project, Gullas said, is that the Government will no longer negotiate for a road-right-of-way because the LRT will be constructed on Metro Cebu’s major thoroughfares.
Gullas said a meeting with Neda officials will follow once all pertinent documents are submitted to the Neda-ICC. (GC)
(September 27, 2005 issue)
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