IMPROVED BRT ROUTE. Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Richmund De Leon (left) explains the expanded route of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in a press conference held at the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) on Tuesday (Sept. 3, 2019). Also in photo are OPAV chief Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino (second from left) and Assistant Secretary Gerard Anthony Gonzales. (PNA photo by John Rey Saavedra)

CEBU CITY -- A high-ranking official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday said the new route plan for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is an expanded and improved version of the original plan, with the aim to cover a wider scope and to create more accessibility for passengers.

DOTr Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Mark Richmund de Leon visited Cebu on Tuesday to explain the route rationalization of the BRT project that is now part of the Integrated Intermodal Transport System (IITS) in Metro Cebu.

De Leon pointed out in a press conference held at the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) that the concept of the original 21.58-kilometer Bulacao-Talamban route of BRT is not feasible as it will traverse congested and narrow roads along the Bulacao corridor in the south and Banilad-Talamban corridor in the north.

The expanded route will cover 39.88 kilometers and de Leon stressed “that there is no shortening and no realignment of the BRT route,” belying allegations by Cebu City North District Representative Raul del Mar that the new route has been shortened.

In the expanded scheme, he said the BRT would traverse a “dedicated right of way” from the South Road Properties (SRP) all the way to the IT Park here, passing through the uptown area.

“So we are proposing instead to have the line in Talisay as a feeder service. In fact, there is no shortening, there is even expansion of the system, a feeder system be expanded all the way to Talisay,” de Leon said.

He explained that if the original route would be implemented, the BRT buses would not arrive at the intended time, which would affect the efficiency of the system.

In a press briefer released by the OPAV head Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, it revealed that “the trunk service of the phase 1 will cover the 13.83-kilometer line from SRP to IT Park. The feeder services from IT Park to Talamban (5.68 km), Talisay to Mambaling (7.55 km), and Talisay to SRP (7.36 km) will also be part of the phase 1.”

Median bus stops will be constructed along the Cebu South Bus Terminal-Capitol corridor, he said.

As part of IITS, the concept of BRT is a feeder line, servicing the main mass transport backbone Monorail with a capacity of Light Rail Transit. Also included in the IITS are P2P (point-to-point) bus, cable cars, intelligence traffic signaling system, greenways, among other "basket of solutions" proposed by DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade in 2018.

Dino, for his part, said the expanded BRT plan “is not giving any preference to the business sector in SRP but is only implementing what the original plan was and is improving it.”

He said he is consistent with his stand not to allow a BRT "to avoid disaster to traffic in Cebu City's narrow roads."

According to de Leon, the project will work on the approved budget. The National Economic and Development Authority-approved budget was pegged at PHP16 billion, mostly from foreign loans.

Dino dismissed the criticisms hurled against the BRT improvement effort as “nonsense,” while expressing his disgust that the lawmaker did not even say anything with the problematic original routes.

“At the same time there is an allegation that we are rerouting it to give preference to some businessmen, which is absurd. If they did that before, please don’t even think that we are doing the same thing. Dili na mao atong tumong, atong tumong (That’s not our goal. Our goal) is to make BRT relevant, to ensure an efficient means of mass transport system, primarily considering our riding public,” he pointed out.

De Leon and Dino called for a press conference after del Mar delivered a privilege speech at the House of Representatives last Aug. 24, calling the House Committee on Transportation to conduct a hearing and invite the DOTr and NEDA to shed light on the cut alignment of the BRT project.

Del Mar said cutting the route alignment by almost 50 percent could disenfranchise thousands of residents in Bulacao and Talamban cluster of villages from having direct access to the city center. (PNA)