Saturday, January 05, 2008 4 studies support railway system in Davao
THE Davao Integrated Development Program (DIDP) has identified four studies for the implementation of the Mindanao Railway System or the Light Rail Transit (LRT) in Davao Region.
Lawyer Wendel Avisado, executive director of the DIDP, said the studies support the establishment of the railway system, which was recently supported by an international financing institution, the MCC Capital Projects Limited based in the United Kingdom.
"The studies in support to the establishment of the railway system are the Davao City Urban Transportaion Land Use Study, the Davao City Comprehensive Development Plan, the Transportation and Traffic Management Plan, and the DIDP Master Plan," Avisado said.
Avisado said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) prepared the Davao City Urban Transportation Land Use Study in 1984.
Under the Davao City Comprehensive Development Plan, Avisado said the railway system has an estimated average trip length in excess of 10 kilometers and the estimated total passengers is 2.5 million.
He added that the same development plan was developed for year 1996 to 2021.
In the DIDP Master Plan, the railway system is proposed to be 60 kilometers in length to include Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur, and Panabo City in Davao del Norte.
Avisado said the railway system would serve the coastal built-up area of Davao City, as well as the neighboring areas in Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte.
DIDP earlier said that the railway project was estimated at P240 billion as of 1997. (JGRS)
