City seeks aid for BRT study tour abroad

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government is asking the assistance of the Cities Development Initiative for Asia to facilitate a study tour in Quito, Ecuador and Curitiba, Brazil regarding both cities’ Bus Rapid Transit System which is proposed to be implemented at the South Road Properties.

The City Government through a letter of intent told CDIA that the study tour shall help the city “develop institutional capacity for the development and implementation of the BRT system.”

The delegation, if permitted, will compose of the mayor, City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete, Engr. Nestor Archival, Engr. Eugene Elizalde, Engr. Alipio Bacalso, Atty. Raphael Yap and Engr. Roberto Varquez.

Poblete chairs the CDIA Project Steering Committee for the BRT-SRP, while Archival is the city’s consultant for the BRT and co-chairman of the steering committee.

Elizalde and Bacalso are both members of the steering committee while Varquez is the Secretariat and the Manager of the SRP.

Yap will be joining as the Executive Director of the City Traffic Operations Management.

Four persons from the private sector will also join but will be shouldering their own expenses.

The city government said the delegation will specifically observe and study on the areas of infrastructure to support the BRT operations, BRT system management requirements, ownership structure, pre-operational set-up and BRT operations including operator procurement and monitoring as well as BRT financial management, ticketing and funding.

The proposed date is on November 2. They expect to accomplish the study tour within two weeks. (FREEMAN)