Traffic problem needs solution now: CCCI backs BRT

CEBU, Philippines — Saying that the worsening problem in traffic needs to be addressed now, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry is putting its back behind the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Cebu City, a project that the government has already approved.

The group emphasized, however, that should government push through with the project, roads here should be widened for it to be successful.

“It has already reached choke point with traffic congestion affecting all sectors of society," said CCCI President Antonio Chiu in an official statement yesterday.

"Road widening should be made an integral component of the BRT project," the chamber president said.

He said the chamber "reiterates its stand for the need of an intermodal mass transport system to address the requirements of a dynamic and growing community in Cebu."

Chiu said it took more than 10 years for the BRT to be approved, not to mention the countless times and resources spent in the process.

"The economists have computed a very high Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) for the BRT at 53 percent – meaning, that the economic benefits are very clear," he said.

While critics of the project have been pushing for its cancellation, Chiu believes this is not the right thing to do.

He called on stakeholders to set aside politics if only to solve the traffic problem.

"Cebu is in a crisis situation. Cebu Chamber would like to enjoin all sectors of society to set aside political differences and work together to solve the traffic problems in order to achieve our common desire to have a Cebu where quality family life and business shall flourish," Chiu said.

Earlier, the former president of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philip Tan, warned that Cebu's traffic woes will worsen if a mass transport project is delayed further due to conflicting opinions.

“Cebu has suffered much and will continue to suffer further if our political leaders will not act together," Tan said.

He said whatever government decides to implement, either a BRT or a Light Rail Transit, it should be implemented as soon as possible.

"Whatever maybe decided upon, can we just start it as soon as possible? Whatever… just do it," he said.

"The worst thing in life is not having failed but doing nothing just because we want perfection," he added.

Chiu, for his part, also said that an LRT will benefit more commuters in the long run.

"While BRT is a short term solution ready for implementation, LRT which will benefit a bigger volume of commuters over a wider area of Cebu should be actively pursued today for implementation within the shortest time possible to support the high growth of Cebu. LRT and BRT will complement each other," he said.

Even Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña who is pushing for the BRT said he will not stop the LRT implementation, saying both mass transport systems can complement each other.

In a letter to the Investment Coordination Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Transportation and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas recommended the cancellation of the BRT.

OPAV chief Michael Dino has since opposed the BRT and lobbied for the LRT instead.

The NEDA-ICC is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the project.

Osmeña believes that the P16.3 billion BRT will not be cancelled as long NEDA-ICC will stand by its previous decision to implement it.

He said NEDA-ICC approved the BRT project twice – when it gave a go signal in 2014 and when it increased the project’s cost to P16.3 billion last year.

He said this is not the first time that Dino tried to block and cancel the project, expressing his hope that Dino will still fail in his move to cancel the BRT.

“I don’t have to do anything. We are there. We are the status quo. They are the spoiler. And they’re using their influence to try to destroy it and so far they have failed. And I’m just hoping that they will continue to fail. But we will continue to fight for this,” Osmeña said.

EFFECT

Osmeña said that if NEDA-ICC will cancel the project, the city will not have any solution to the problem of traffic in the next 10 years.

He said it is also possible that the Philippines will be blacklisted by World Bank and government of France.

In 2015, the Philippine government entered into a loan agreement with Agence Francaise Development (AFD) and World Bank (WB) through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), Clean Technology Fund (CTF), and Credit Facility Agreement (CFA) for the implementation of the BRT.

“We’ll be blacklisted. I cannot speak for them but they don’t like things like this. You do not break a bilateral agreement,” Osmeña said.

As far as the LRT is concerned, Osmeña said there is no full feasibility study for it, for now.

“How would they know it can save the city billions when they don’t even have a feasibility study? Actually, we don’t have to do anything. What we have is already an approved project. Signed, sealed and starting to be implemented,” he said. - Jean Marvette A. Demecillo (FREEMAN)