CEBU City officials and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) finished three days of route inspections for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. The checks identified gaps in signage, intersection management and station operations just 10 days before the official dry run begins.
Mayor Nestor Archival said the runs from Fuente Osmeña to the south bus terminal were generally smooth, clocking in at just six minutes with stops — or four without — but flagged missing signs and unclear merging points. DOTr inspectors also noted buses stalled at intersections and overlapped at stations.
SPOTTING GAPS. The route inspection was a simulation to spot gaps before the actual dry run. Archival said the dry run proper will start on Sept. 29. It is when buses will officially begin carrying passengers. For now, bus lanes are reopened to private motorists.
Work on the CBRT began in February 2023. It is currently in Phase 1, a 13‑kilometer span running from the South Road Properties to the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) on N. Bacalso Ave., continuing to the front of the Capitol building on Osmeña Blvd., and ultimately reaching Cebu IT Park in Barangay Apas. The first segment to become operational, known as Package 1, is a 2.38‑kilometer stretch with segregated bus lanes from the CSBT to the Capitol building and forms a key part of Phase 1.
SMOOTH RIDE VS. TRAFFIC SNAGS. Archival said the CBRT project is on track but wants signage fixed before launch. The gaps involve missing directional signs to guide motorists and commuters where to go and regulatory signs that set the rules of the road. Without these, he warned, confusion at merging points and stations could undermine the rollout.
But while officials pointed to improvements over the three days, several commuters and motorists complained that the trial run caused traffic jams, especially during peak hours. On the first day last Wednesday, Sept. 17, lane closures left many drivers stuck in heavy congestion. Motorists were not initially informed of lane closures, causing traffic on day one. Once lanes were closed earlier the next day, drivers adjusted and congestion eased.
“There will always be changes. Some will be happy, others may not,” Archival said.
For the DOTr, inspector Joshua Rodrigues warned that unless traffic lights and intersections are managed better, delays will blunt the system’s promise of speed. His short-term fix: station more enforcers during the dry run.
Cebu City Transportation Office head Raquel Arce argued that motorists will eventually adapt.
“That really depends on what people are used to. We’ll eventually adapt,” she said, pointing out that the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP) will help reorganize traffic once the BRT is running.
LPTRP is a local government unit’s official blueprint for organizing and modernizing its public transport routes in line with the central government’s public transport modernization program. It’s mandated by the DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board. It also serves as the minimum requirement for issuing new public transport franchises.
WHAT’S AT STAKE. For commuters, the CBRT promises a fast, air-conditioned ride at P15 base fare plus P2.65 per succeeding kilometer. Each bus carries 40 seated and up to 90 at peak with standing room. If the system works, it could unclog roads and prove that Cebu can shift to modern mass transit.
But the risks are clear: messy intersections could negate speed gains, missing signs could cause confusion or even accidents and early traffic snarls could sour public perception before the system fully launches.
UNRESOLVED QUESTIONS. Can intersection bottlenecks be untangled in time for the Sept. 29 dry run? Will motorists and commuters adapt quickly, or will congestion sour first impressions? How soon can the City roll out the full LPTRP, which would redistribute jeepney routes alongside the CBRT?
WHAT’S NEXT. The official dry run starts Sept. 29, when buses will begin carrying passengers from Fuente to the CSBT. The bigger test looms in October with the Il Corso–Cebu IT Park pilot run. Both will serve as proof of concept for whether CBRT can finally deliver the reliable, modern transport system that planners have promised. / CAV