THE office of the mayor has been urged to impose sanctions on the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) management due to disregard for safety.
In a resolution approved by the council on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, the BRT management may face sanctions due to the presence of protruding rebars (short for reinforcing bars) along N. Bacalso Ave. without any early
warning devices.
Norvin Imbong, CBRT project manager, told SunStar Cebu in a text message on Friday, Oct. 4, that the rebars were part of the curb and gutter that were demolished for the new curb and gutter last Sept. 24.
He said the problem was addressed immediately on that same day when the new curb and gutter were cast.
City Councilor Rey Gealon, who authored the resolution, said the inexcusable negligence and disregard for safety by the CBRT management is distasteful and unacceptable.
He said the protruding rebars pose a danger to the people.
Gealon further said that it was the management’s obligation to exercise diligence in ensuring that early warning devices were placed at the site, especially with the protruding rebars around.
He said the CBRT project management must ensure the safety of the people, especially since it is a road project where motorists and pedestrians alike traverse the road.
The CBRT project has been marred by several delays since it broke ground in 2023.
The CBRT project has four packages, with Package 1 covering a distance of 2.38 kilometers from the Cebu South Bus Terminal along N. Bacalso Ave. to the front of the Capitol building along Osmeña Blvd.
The groundbreaking for Package 1 was on Feb. 24, 2023, with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Its original target completion date was in the last quarter of 2023, only to be moved to the first quarter of 2024.
The Department of Transportation initially aimed to complete the CBRT project in 2025 but moved it to 2027 due to design changes.
The CBRT’s estimated overall target completion date is on Dec. 31, 2027.
The CBRT project is one of the infrastructure projects designed to increase the overall performance of the urban passenger transport system in the city.
It is one of the top priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration with a budget allocation of P28.78 billion. / JPS