Track transport impresses mayor

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was able to ride on a test drive of the electricity-run alternative mass transport system called the Automated Guideway Transit at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

“Nice! I was impressed because it ran. I mean it can be done,” Rama said.

However, Rama said the AGT should be shown to the public first because their might be some skeptics.

“When convenience and progress will come, naa gyod nay ginganlan there will also be inconvenience for some, but this will be for the better future and tomorrow,” Rama explained.Rama said after the test ride, he told Mario Montejo, Department of Science and Technology Secretary, he will discuss the project as an alternative mode of transportation of Bus Rapid Transit with City Traffic Operations Management executive director Rafael Christopher Yap, CITOM chairman Ruben Almendras and the CITOM board for them to be enlightened.

A prototype of the AGT, a project of the Department of Science and Technology, was shown to the public during a demonstration in UP Diliman last April.

Rama said there should be a “bottoms up” approach to bring participation and involvement among riders.

Further, Rama said it is good to have an alternative mode of transportation than nothing at all.

“If you talked about BRT it is not yet coming, so we better have a thing that will also serve, sariling atin pa,” Rama said.

Almendras earlier proposed a multi-system public transportation for Cebu City.

“We can have the Bus Rapid Transit for specific routes, electric trolleys in certain routes, the regular buses and jeepneys in other routes. We may even have the LRT in some areas when the demand is there and it is financially viable,” Almendras said.

Almendras said the regular buses and jeepneys will still ply their routes, but as they introduce the electric trolleys and the partial BRT, their routes will eventually rationalize to the areas where they will still be viable.

Rama said although they are trying to have this prototype transportation, he reminded Montejo and Almendras that there should be no necessary distractions to the skyline.  (FREEMAN)