Cebu gets $141-M WB loan for bus rapid transit project

MANILA, Philippines - The World Bank has approved a $141-million financial package for the development of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

“The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit Project [is] designed to demonstrate that BRT can provide the city’s residents with a more efficient, reliable, fast, safe and climate-friendly transport system,” the World Bank said in a statement.

The World Bank said the package will be made up of a $116- million loan and a $25-million Clean Technology Fund. 

“(This) will help finance the construction of a 23-kilometer BRT system along a major transport corridor in Cebu City in central Philippines,” the World Bank said.

The Philippine government, for its part, will provide $87.5 million for the project. 

The project is planned to be built from Bulacao to Talamban in Cebu City and seen carrying 330,000 passengers daily. The World Bank said since the BRT will run on its own designated lane, it will make traveling faster and safer.

“The project will also install a state-of-the-art computerized traffic management system in the entire city to ensure smoother overall traffic flow and will provide other improvements to integrate the BRT with other modes of transport,” the World Bank said.

“In addition to transport and global climate change benefits, Cebu BRT will also help improve the health of Cebu residents. International experience in implementing BRT has shown that a well-designed and operated BRT could reduce airborne pollutants, air toxics, and road accidents,” the World Bank added.

The BRT system was introduced in Curitiba, Brazil in 1974 and has gained popularity across the globe for its efficiency and affordability, the World Bank said.

“The World Bank Group is supporting this project because we believe its impact is going to be far-reaching and transformational not only for Cebu but for the country as a whole,” Motoo Konishi, World Bank’s country director, said.

“When successfully implemented, Cebu BRT will provide an on-the-ground demonstration of how this system can address people’s need for a reliable, efficient and comfortable transport – something that other cities in the Philippines and beyond can learn from,” he added.