AFTER being halted due to the lack of necessary permits, civil works on the link-to-port component of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project resumed after a four-month pause.
Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia confirmed on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, that the CBRT project proponent had secured the required permits, including excavation permits for constructing and extending the sidewalks along Osmeña Blvd.
The link-to-port component aims to pedestrianize Osmeña Blvd. by reducing the two-lane road to a single lane and extending the sidewalks, promoting pedestrian activity in the downtown area.
Garcia assured the public that no construction would proceed without the proponent securing the necessary permits.
Viral lamppost
Last June, the project went viral online after motorists and pedestrians raised safety concerns over a lamppost with a concrete base placed in the middle of Osmeña Blvd. near Plaza Independencia. Following the outcry, Garcia ordered the removal of the lamppost and directed the project proponents to obtain the proper permits after discovering that none had been issued.
The project has also drawn opposition from at least four businesses along Osmeña Blvd.—MyJoy, Best Buy Mart Inc., All Pet Supplies, and Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. These establishments submitted a position paper to the City Council on June 26, citing concerns about potential traffic congestion and negative economic impacts.
In a letter dated Oct. 7, Purita Sih, owner of All Pet Supplies, expressed her latest concerns to City Councilor Nestor Archival, seeking intervention. She noted that excavation had resumed and warned that the project, once completed, would reduce the four-lane road to two lanes, affecting accessibility in the downtown area.
“What if there’s an accident, fire, or road issue—what will happen? The Osmeña Blvd. buildings already have wide, roofed sidewalks. Why make another sidewalk on the road?” Sih questioned.
She said the road is a vital connection to City Hall, banking institutions, public markets, and the pier.
Last Oct. 17, Yogi Ruiz, an aspirant for Cebu City mayor, filed a complaint against Garcia, accusing him of grave misconduct and serious neglect of duty for allegedly failing to remove lamppost materials and debris from Osmeña Blvd., which he said posed a road hazard. / EHP