CAPILLAS
Though funding for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project had been released, it looks like it’s not out of the woods yet as far as being dropped by the government is concerned if one uses as bases the recent statements issued by Transportation Undersecretary Thomas Orbos in a radio interview.
Orbos said while the BRT will continue to receive funding, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will also review and assess whatever complaints and concerns are raised by those critical of the project.
It’s not hard to guess that among its chief complainants is Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino who continues to lobby for the BRT’s replacement with his pet Light Railway Transit (LRT) subway project.
As I see it, there’s both good news and bad news on this development. The good news is that Orbos didn’t categorically state that the project will be scrapped outright since funding will still continue.
The bad news — and I guess whether or not it is bad news is relative depending on whose side of the fence one sits behind on the project — is that the DOTr appears to be waffling on the BRT, again based on Orbos’s statement about the complaints raised by its critics.
One such complaint, which is allowing the BRT units to mix with other vehicles in regular traffic at the Banilad Talamban area, is being questioned since the big buses will likely aggravate congestion there.
Which is why Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña considered placing a dedicated lane for the BRT units rather than allowing them to mix in with regular traffic in order to allow the buses to move from Point A to Point B without having to squeeze in with motorists and passenger jeepneys.
That may entail additional budget, but based on the statements of BRT project chief and lawyer Raffy Yap, that may have already been considered for inclusion so it won’t be seen as a major stumbling block.
Besides, an additional funding is a lot easier to hurdle than having to scrap the project altogether and starting again from scratch which is what the opponents want to happen, but Im counting on public sentiment to override that opposition.
The dedicated lane was supposed to be part of the original feasibility study for the project, and I don’t know if this will affect the overall implementation of the BRT in any way. But at least Orbos’ latest statement can comfort us with the realization that it’s still all systems go for the project.
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Speaking of mass transport, I read with some interest an article posted by a Facebook friend on Singapore’s plan to stop adding cars to its streets by February next year.
The article is timely in light of President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to phase out aging, dilapidated smoke-belching jeepneys starting in January next year.
In imposing a ban on more cars in the streets, the Singaporean government declared that “land constraints and competing needs” showed “there is limited scope for further expansion of the existing road network.”
Imagine the smiles of every passenger jeepney operator if President Duterte were to issue a similar proclamation. Then again, that would only make Uber and Grab Car services a lot more valuable, albeit to a substantial number of commuters who can afford their rates.
Unfortunately for these jeepney operators, the reverse is true and the commuters may get to smile more on seeing better outfitted jeepneys plying the streets instead of those weather beaten, smoke-belching types that are the favorite hangouts of snatchers and perverts alike.
There’s still a few months left so the President may change his mind on the phaseout, but then again, maybe time has run out for the stubborn operators who will periodically join those transport strikes to convince a weary riding public to join their cause.
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So what did Chinese billionaire Jack Ma say about the country’s woeful WiFi/Internet connectivity that has not been experienced and complained about by every Filipino consumer with a mobile device and a computer in his or her home?
The obvious solution would be for government to build its own infrastructure and WiFi/Internet highway to allow more service providers to enable Filipino users to connect to the internet.
At the same time, it will allow the government to set rates for these service providers that can be readily affordable to the Filipino consumers and give them more quality choices.
Sadly, we can’t see that happening since we don’t see any substantial moves to build such infrastructure at this stage.