Former Colombia mayor endorses BRT for SRP

CEBU - The initiator of the most successful Bus Rapid Transit system or the BRT has endorsed the system as the most suitable mode of transportation that would fully equip and enhance the South Road Properties.

This as the City Council approved a resolution that declares as policy direction of the city government the establishment of a public urban mass transportation system in the form of a BRT.

Former mayor Enrique Peñalosa of Bogota, Columbia, who visited Cebu last month, recently wrote a letter to City Planning and Development Coordinator Nigel Paul Villarete, saying the BRT as the most desirable and feasible transport system for the city government’s multi-billion property.

Peñalosa said the SRP could transform Cebu and the Philippines and have a profound effect in Asia’s urban development.

“SRP could become a detonator for a totally new Cebu. It could become what Manhattan is to New York or what Makati is to Manila. But it can and should incorporate new urban design elements that make it unique and better in several aspects than Makati or Manhattan,” Peñalosa’s letter read.

He suggested that there be a rapid but careful and comprehensive scheme that can also be devised in order to ensure the maximum financial gain to Cebu City from the sale of the land.

“I imagine an SRP with a great pedestrian waterfront all around it, for bicycles, pedestrians, etc., with mooring for many sizes of small boats. There would be restaurants, cafes and the like. The canal entering the internal waterfront should also be pedestrian,” Peñalosa said.

“Buildings would isolate the waterfront from roads parallel to the waterfront by running behind buildings. In a couple of places the cars could go next to the waterfront promenades, so as for its occupants to glimpse at the marvelous waterfronts,” he added.

Meanwhile, the city council recently adopted the resolution jointly authored by councilors Gerardo Carillo, Sylvan Jakosalem, Nestor Archival and Raul Alcoseba that declares the establishment of the BRT system as the policy direction of the city.

According to the resolution, Cebu City had expressed developmental moves towards a shift to urban public mass transportation to ease the pressure on transport infrastructure.

Cebu City Planning and Development Officer Niger Paul Villarete said the resolution is very beneficial for the project to move even if this is yet to be implemented in the next few years.

He said a policy direction is very important in future discussions with the national government and financing institutions for their respective commitment.

After the passage of the resolution, Villarete said the next step is to encourage also the neighboring cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay to do the same. — Ferliza C. Contratista/WAB (THE FREEMAN)