The Need For Speed

While the City officials are excited that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system will finally to be adapted in Cebu, critics are skeptical about its feasibility and efficacy. Is BRT a better mass transport system for Cebu, or is it just another case of the Cebu government squandering funds like the corrupt story associated with rusting lampposts? There are also questions on losses of income on the part of Cebu’s jeepney operators and drivers. Such concerns should be addressed accordingly.

This is how the BRT would operate. It will work like the train system but will use buses instead of train coaches. It will have designated bus lanes instead of rail tracks. The buses will run at higher speed compared to ordinary buses because the buses’ velocity will be enhanced by the combination of the advantages of a metro rail system and of a conventional bus system. Thus, the system can serve more passengers per mile. The passengers of BRT can easily pay bus fares at ticket booths located at bus stations in the middle of the road that are quite accessible from pedestrian lanes or overhead walkways.

Aside from its fine features, there are also good reasons why the BRT system should be implemented in Cebu. First, it eases traffic congestion. As of 2008, Cebu City has over 67,000 registered vehicles and has a 3.6 percent annual average population growth rate. Theoretically, the public utility jeepneys (PUJs) will no longer be able to accommodate the needs of the riding public in the next fifteen years or so. Once the BRT project is realized, commuters will then have a smoother ride. Commuters will also be less exposed to air pollution brought about by smoke-

belching jeepneys. Healthwise, BRT will cause the decrease of the number of people affected with the respiratory diseases triggered by the inhalation of carbon dioxide. Also, emission of the greenhouse gases which causes the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming will likely lessen. BRT may not be an immediate all-out antidote to climate change, but at least it can be one concrete step towards it. Financing the construction of BRT is no longer a problem. The Clean Technology Fund (a project administered by Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States) has pledged $6.1 billion dollars to support developing countries to combat climate change. Cebu City is borrowing from the $250 million grant that the Philippines received from this organization with zero interest rate for the BRT project. Cebu businessmen also want to adapt the proposed BRT system. One of their major goals is to decongest the streets so that they can put up better means of transportation and facilitate the movement of vans, taxis, cars, buses, tourist vehicles, and trucks. Recently, the movement of the supply of goods and services has been slowed down, because of the worsening traffic situation in the city. Addressing this immediately is of great importance for the business sector, especially now that Cebu’s business elite is focused on the city’s development of its information and communications technology. If traffic flow will ease up, more investors will be attracted to transact businesses in the Queen City of the South. The city will also become more attractive to tourists. When these happen, there will be more employment opportunities for Cebuanos. Source of income for PUJ drivers and operators will not be a problem. Mayor Tomas Osmeña has guaranteed that there will be employment reservation for the affected PUJ drivers. This is the reason PUJ drivers are not against the project. Commuters don’t have to worry. Integrated Transport Planning Director Colin Brader assured that BRT fares will parallel to jeepney fares. Compared to PUJs, BRT is a more reliable means of transportation. This has been noted by other developing countries like Brazil, Canada, China, United Kingdom, Colombia, and other 19 countries all over the world that are using the BRT for mass transportation. It is true that jeepney operations will be disrupted upon the realization of this project, but as what Cebuanos are experiencing, PUJs are not enough to cater to the growing number of commuters, and only the BRT system can solve traffic problems not only in Cebu City, but also in the entire province.