CEBU City Councilor Winston Pepito expressed support for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) rollout but admitted having mixed feelings as the system prepares for partial operations in March 2026.
His statement came after Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez announced that Package 1 of the CBRT is expected to be operational by March 2026.
Speaking during the Usapang Budget 2026 Forum on Feb. 20, Lopez said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is finalizing the remaining components of Package 1, which will run from the Cebu South Bus Terminal to Fuente Osmeña Circle.
Pepito, chairman of the City Council Committee on Transportation, said he believes in the benefits of the CBRT but questioned whether it is fully ready for public rollout.
“I support it because we believe in the benefits of the CBRT. But I have mixed feelings because it is not yet fully operational and not yet completed,” Pepito said in an interview on Friday, Feb. 20.
He compared it to the situation to “eating half-cooked rice.”
He pointed out that the current route under Package 1 is relatively short and may not allow commuters to fully appreciate the system’s potential.
“The route is too short. People may not fully enjoy or appreciate it. It may not be as effective because of the limited coverage,” he said.
Package 1 is projected to serve up to 34,000 passengers daily once operational.
Lopez earlier said the project is now 97 percent complete, with the remaining three percent covering punch listing and documentation requirements tied to foreign-assisted funding.
The DOTr will conduct dry runs to minimize operational issues before opening the system to the public.
Despite this, Pepito said the original concept of a BRT system is to ensure zero traffic interference along its dedicated lane.
He warned that once buses reach areas like Escario Street, where traffic congestion remains heavy, the efficiency of the system could be compromised.
“The idea of BRT is zero traffic. In fact, BRT can be better than a railway system. The problem now is the limited route,” he said.
Pepito added that while there are plans to extend operations toward Cebu IT Park, parts of the route may involve mixed traffic, where BRT buses share lanes with private and public vehicles.
He cautioned that this could result in further congestion if proper rerouting is not implemented.
“There should have been rerouting measures in place even before the CBRT implementation. Right now, private and public vehicles are still using areas near the BRT corridor, which could make traffic worse. We might end up disappointing commuters,” he said.
LPTRP temporarily on hold
Pepito also revealed that the proposed Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) he earlier pushed has been temporarily put on hold.
According to him, the World Bank, one of the project’s funders, requested a few months to conduct a new study on rerouting, which could result in possible changes to existing routes.
Because of this, the City Council decided to hold in abeyance the ordinance related to the LPTRP to give way to the World Bank-funded study.
“They asked that we hold it for now because they will conduct a study. There might be changes in the route,” Pepito said, adding that no specific budget details have yet been provided for the new study.
The CBRT project, conceptualized in 2014 and backed by a World Bank loan set to end in September 2026, has faced years of implementation delays.
With accumulated delays, Lopez said the government is exploring a public-private partnership arrangement for the project’s succeeding packages, particularly for operations and maintenance.
Lopez maintained that the DOTr remains confident the system will begin operations within the first quarter of 2026, emphasizing safety and service reliability as priorities.
For Pepito, however, the key challenge is ensuring that once operational, the CBRT meets public expectations.
“We are excited that it will finally be tested. But at the same time, we want it to be ready so that commuters will truly feel its benefits,” he said. / CAV