OFFICIALS of Yokohama, Japan introduced yesterday another mass transport system that can complement the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) project.
Yasuaki Nakamura of the International Technical Cooperation Division of Yokohama City presented the Automated Guided Transport (AGT) system during a seminar on urban transport, which was organized by the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board (MCDCB) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT) of Japan.
The AGT is an unmanned transit system that shares similarities with rail but is less costly to implement.
In his presentation, Nakamura said the AGT guideway can be installed on existing road.
Like rail
He said the Yokohama AGT traversed national and city roads, and operates like a light rail transit (LRT).
MCDCB executive committee chairperson Gordon Joseph said he tried the AGT when he went to Yokohama with Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III and found it “efficient and comfortable.”
“I think that we should seriously consider (it) for Mega Cebu,” he said. “However, I do know that there is no single solution but rather several solutions (to the traffic problem) depending on route utilization.”
He said the traffic problem in Metro Cebu can be addressed by the BRT, AGT and rail, integrated in seamless manner.
Transportation in major Japanese cities includes the AGT, monorail and tram.
Solutions
Roberto Aboitiz, co-chair of MCDCB, said the board continues to look for solutions to problems facing Metro Cebu.
“We have Japanese partners from Jica (Japan International Cooperation Agency), Yokohama and MLITT who are here to share their experiences and solutions,” he said.
“We are in a learning environment to allow us to review, assess and find the applicability of any of these solutions moving to 2050. Our task is to develop a master plan for Cebu that would address major concerns, like mobility,” he added.
The MCDCB supports the Mega Cebu 2050 vision, which aims to turn the metropolis into a sustainable and more livable place.