JOBERS R. BERSALES
A few months ago I wrote about the plans of Philtram Transport Consortium Inc. to conduct a feasibility study for a monorail system for Cebu. Well, that study has just been completed. And the results are very promising.
If only fractious politics will not derail this, the project appears without doubt to be a better alternative to a Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system, because these latter two will surely eat a lot more space and will take longer to build.
Although an unsolicited proposal, I hope it gets the nod of government as soon as possible. Philtram plans to set up a P64-billion, privately-run monorail system running from Talisay City through N. Bacalso Avenue (the so-called South Expressway) turning to V. Rama Avenue then to Fuente Osmeña, General Maxilom Avenue, SM Cebu, to the port area and turn again to the vicinity of Subangdaku and the National Highway or M.C. Briones in Mandaue City and on to Pacific Mall up to Consolacion town. Another line can then run from Pacific Mall junction to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. A future project will also run most probably from Fuente Osmeña to Talamban, passing through what today are the most congested sections of Cebu City.
The good thing is that Philtram sees no conflict between the monorail and the Bus Rapid Transit. But whether such a conflict will ever exist, I still believe that given the narrow arteries of Metro Cebu, with long drawn-out battles for road-right-of way, a monorail will fare better than all other mass transit systems.
With just a single pillar or column to hold a dual line, there is very little spatial disturbance below, no lasting shadows leading to a dark, gloomy, and humid ground level that caused the closure of many shops below LRT/MRT lines in Manila.
The plan is to utilize the Bombardier Innovia 300 coaches and signaling systems developed in the Bombardier factories in Canada and Germany. And with China Railway Engineering Corp. backing up Philtram, no public funds will be spent for setting up the system.
By the way, perhaps unbeknownst to everyone in Cebu, we actually have a Bombardier office here, although it handles shared financial services for a region of this worldwide company whose headquarters is in Montreal, Canada. The general manager is even a good friend of mine, Dave Brian Latonio, a highly paid executive overseeing nearly 300 employees doing accounting work right here in Cebu.
I am sure we both share the dream that one day—and soon—we will ride these monorails to work.
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