Osmeña to Dino: What have you done for Cebu?

WHAT have you done for Cebu?

This is what Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino to answer, following their exchange of words over the implementation of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.

In a Facebook post, Osmeña challenged Dino to enumerate what he has done for Cebu considering that he admitted having direct access to President Rodrigo Duterte.

When sought for comment, Dino’s camp said they will issue a statement regarding the matter today.

Despite minor delays, Osmeña reiterated that the multi-billion-peso project is still a go.

“The BRT will happen. You cannot stop it, you can only slow it down. But while you do, the taxpayer bleeds millions and the Cebuanos have to continue to suffer because of your politics. If you really want to stop the BRT, do it the right way: by running on an anti-BRT platform. Let the people decide. Get the mandate of the Cebuanos. But I know you won’t, because you are a coward,” he said.

Osmeña clarified that he has done something for traffic over the years following Dino’s question on what he has done about it in his previous terms as mayor.

Osmeña said he was behind the widening of Escario St., V. Rama Ave., N. Bacalso Ave., P. Del Rosario St., A.S. Fortuna St., M.J. Cuenco Ave., Banilad road and Salvador/Duterte St., among others.

On top of that, the mayor said he has put computerized traffic lights in 78 intersections, established the city’s traffic office to augment the police in traffic matters, and fought against counter-flowing violators.

He said he was also behind the South Road Properties and the Cebu South Coastal Road, which provided another access for south-bound vehicles.

Although he has widened several roads, Osmeña believes that it is not just the answer to the problem of traffic.

“In addition to this, you are only encouraging people to use what little capacity you added by buying even more cars, which will negate everything you’ve done. The only way to alleviate traffic is to increase the efficiency of existing roads, because one bus is equivalent to at least 40 cars. This is what REAL traffic experts say, experts in the World Bank, NEDA, and the Japanese and French governments who took years to study the implementation of this project in Cebu,” he added.

The exchange of words between Osmeña and Dino came after the move of the Department of Transportation to remove some members of the project implementation unit BRT project.

The move is expected to cause a delay in the construction of the project. (RVC)