Danish envoy tells Cebu to solve traffic problem

CEBU, Philippines - If there's one thing Cebu should prioritize solving now it should be its worsening traffic situation by implementing the much-needed mass transport system.

In an interview with reporters Wednesday night, Jan Top Christensen, Denmark ambassador to the Philippines, said Cebu has to do something to address its traffic situation which has been worsening due to infrastructure woes and rising number of cars plying on roads.

"I see that you're (Cebu) also getting competitive in traffic with Manila," Christensen said in jest in an interview at the sidelines of a dinner meeting hosted by Royal Danish Consulate in Cebu with local businessmen here.

The Danish ambassador sought to learn more about the business climate and opportunities in Cebu. He met with the presidents of Cebu and Mandaue chamber of commerce and other local stakeholders here.  

Talking about the traffic problem, Christensen said there are many things that can be done to solve the traffic congestion and key to that is building a mass transport system in Cebu.

There has been a public clamor to build a mass transport in Cebu such as a light railway transit (LRT) system but plans could hardly take off due to lack of political will, among other factors.

According earlier to the Department of Finance, a five-line railway project in Cebu is among the projects now being developed by the Department of Transportation as part of the Duterte administration's golden age of infrastructure.

A DOF statement listed a total of 64 big-ticket projects that are part of the government's infrastructure buildup nationwide, and the Cebu railway project, which will have five lines, is among the 13 railway projects being developed now by DOTr.

Based on previous reports, the DOTr detailed a 25-kilometer Cebu rail project costing P98 billion, including right of way.

These 68 big-ticket projects range from major road networks, railway systems and bus rapid transit systems to airport and seaport modernization that are either for implementation or in the pipeline as part of the Duterte administration’s massive infrastructure program.

Metro Cebu, being an attractive metropolis, needs to have better infrastructure to draw in more investors and businesses.

The planned LRT system will also complement the P10.6-billion Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that is funded by the World Bank.

The 16-kilometer Cebu BRT, which includes the construction of bus ways bus stations and other facilities, stretches from Bulacao to Talamban.

Cebu is in dire need of quality, fast and reliable mass transit systems to decongest its main roads where traffic is getting worse due to the increasing car volume.

Cebu's low quality and unreliable mass transport, the jeepneys, has not been able to keep up with the demands of Cebu's rising economic and increasing population.

The increasing volume of vehicles plying inadequate roads and highways in the metropolis has contributed to the traffic woes.

Moreover, Christensen said there are many other major infrastructure projects that need to be implemented in Cebu such bridges, tunnels and land reclamation.

"It's easy to solve the infrastructure problem here because it's smaller than Manila. Cebu has to make sure in the long-term these infrastructure projects [are in place]," the ambassador emphasized. (FREEMAN)