With the aim to recalibrate the transportation system in Metro Cebu, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to finish the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project within the intended timeline.
Marcos graced the groundbreaking ceremony of the Package I of the project, which will provide an affordable, reliable, efficient, and safe public transportation system in the province of Cebu.
“On this note, I also want to take this opportunity on the DOTr and other stakeholders to finish this project within the target completion timeline. I think if we in fact start operations [in] December, that will be the best possible Christmas gift that we can give to Cebu…” said Marcos in his message.
“Let me assure all the Filipinos that this BRT system has been planned thoroughly and studied by both the national and local government,” he added.
Marcos also tasked concerned agencies “to find ways to properly relocate the affected informal settler families.”
The chief executive vowed that his administration would continue to explore ways to improve the country’s public transport system.
For his part, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said the BRT would be the first mass transit system in Cebu City and the first Bus Rapid Transit in the Philippines, noting that the P16.3 billion project will bring multiple benefits to residents of Metro Cebu.
“The 13.18-kilometer Cebu BRT will not only reduce travel time between Cebu’s north and south districts but also boost economic productivity in various communities through the efficient mobility of passengers, goods, and services,” Bautista said in his speech.
“The project likewise promises to provide better job security and working conditions for the PUV drivers and reduce vehicle and pedestrian accidents,” he added.
Bautista said the project is seen to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2025 and that it can accommodate as many as 160,000 passengers a day. The project is being funded by the World Bank and the French Development Agency, he added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
