THE Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project for Cebu City has been included in the list of projects that the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) wants implemented within the first 100 days of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
This was disclosed by the BRT Cebu project head Atty. Rafael Yap yesterday, as he appealed to the officials of the DOTC to make the project a priority.
“We hope we will be able to start the procurement (bidding) of the first two construction packages for the BRT as well as begin the road-right-of-way acquisition within 100 days,” he told reporters.
The procurement for the project has been delayed for more than two months since it is supposed to be bid out after the May 9 national and local elections yet.
The first construction package for the 16-kilometer BRT project is the construction of the bus ways, bus stations and other facilities on Osmeña Blvd., particularly the area from Fuente Osmeña Circle to the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
The second construction package will be at the South Road Properties, particularly commercial roads I and II.
Yap said he has briefed the new set of DOTC officials in Manila thrice already in the past three weeks about the BRT.
He has also submitted all documentation that are in the hands of the BRT Cebu unit.
“DOTC is still intent in pursuing the project and I think they are just making sure all our documents are in order before they proceed. There is no indication that it is less prioritized,” he said.
Delayed
Considering the changes in the administration, DOTC had wanted to be briefed first on the P10.6-billion project before starting its actual implementation.
This is the reason the project has been delayed.
Even if the briefing is over, Yap said the project can’t still be implemented because DOTC is still transitioning.
“Due to the volume of the work and other projects, and that DOTC is also undergoing transition, understandably, it will take some time,” he said.
Yap said DOTC was already told about the need to implement the project.
“There are certain time constraints primarily due to the schedule of the loan agreement. But they understand that it is a priority for Cebuanos to be implemented,” he said.
The BRT, which is expected to ease traffic congestion in the city, will be from Bulacao to Talamban.
The funding for the project, which will come from the World Bank, needs to be used until June 30, 2021, Yap said.