BUSINESS leaders favor adopting both a bus and rail-based transit system in Cebu, saying it is high time the island adopted mass transportation..
It should be properly planned and mapped out, they added, so its economic benefits can be maximized
Some suggested waiting for the feasibility studies of both proposals to be completed, before officials pick a system based on technical, market and socio-economic data.
Cebu City officials are pushing for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), while the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is studying a proposed Light Trail Transit-Mono Rail Transit system (LRT-BRT).
“It is right to have both the BRT and the LRT-MRT to enhance business and development for the entire Cebu, to avoid overly congested traffic, and to establish growth areas in other parts of Cebu,” said Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Eric Mendoza.
In a text message, he said the proposed BRT and LRT-MRT are both relevant to the province’s business sector.
Both are environment-friendly systems that enable the swift movement of people, goods and services and will allow access to cheaper homes beyond Metro Cebu.
He hopes the projects will be implemented well, with the BRT system serving the peripheral routes from the LRT stations’ drop-off terminals or centers.
Businessman Teodoro Locson said that both systems, if properly planned and integrated, will be good for both Cebu City and the province.
Businessman and past Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Robert Go said he favors a mass transport project, be it LRT or BRT.
“It’s a good development for the transport system. The old jeepneys belch smoke, cause pollution, and could cause traffic due to some undisciplined drivers,” he said in
another text message.
He explained that the project can declog the streets that can then be devoted to delivery vans, taxis, buses, tourist vehicles, and trucks for business and commerce, similar to Hong Kong and Singapore.
In a separate phone interview, Philexport-Cebu executive director Fred Escalona said the problem in inbound logistics—or the movement of goods and services from suppliers to production factories or storage facilities—has been considered one of the most “glaring concerns” in the supply chain of Cebu’s export sector.
This was discovered in a recent sectoral export marketing plan facilitated by Philexport-Cebu.
“Cebu is growing so fast. It’s about time for Cebu to have an efficient mass transport system. This is a good project, provided that it is efficiently mapped out by not disturbing the flow of traffic,” Escalona said.
He suggested that jeepneys be stationed in the LRT’s drop-off points since the buses used in the BRT system might further congest traffic.
“Cebu’s economy will be well-compensated if we address the issues now, including the fast movement of goods,” he said.
Interviewed separately, Samuel Chioson, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said an efficient mass transport system would redound to everyone’s benefit.
“Better mobility always results in a more vibrant economy,” he said.
Chioson said if there’s a way for both systems to co-exist, then why not pursue both?
Snoogie Apolinario, a consultant of the Canadian International Development Agency, also said that he favors developing a mass transit system for Cebu.
“I welcome that LRT project. It will help decongest the city’s traffic problems in the long term. In the short term, the project will also provide construction jobs for the people,” he said.
Major trading centers in Asia like Manila, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur already have mass transit systems like MRT or LRT.
“The city’s growth calls for something like this to be in place.
But one thing is for sure, the LRT or BRT will be a definite step forward, an investment that needs to be made so the city can be at par with the other key cities in this part of the world.” (PDF)
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