Davao City’s version of BRT

CAPILLAS

If there are still naysayers who question the viability of a bus system in Cebu City, namely this little project called the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, then this little news story may help dispel those doubts.

A report from Rappler — yes, the “favorite” news outlet of administration loyalists who accuse it of peddling “fake news”— quoted a top official of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as saying that he hopes the design of Davao City’s High Priority Bus System (HPBS) will be finalized next year so the project can proceed within a few years.

The HPBS was also reported in ABS-CBN and it showed Davao City Mayor Inday Sara-Duterte as saying that the system will still complement the administration’s jeepney modernization program.

Compared to Cebu City’s BRT project which would run to P10 billion, Davao City’s HPBS will cost an estimated P70 million but depending on the results of the feasibility study, the cost would likely be bigger.

Still, the fact that Davao City proceeded with their own bus system project in lieu of a Light Railway Transit (LRT) that was previously proposed in that area meant that Davao City officials have recognized the potential for a modernized bus fleet that can service their commuters just as if not more effectively than a train system.

I watched a report on the BRT dated Sept. 24, 2016 on ANC which featured Prof. Cresencio Montalbo of the University of the Philippines Center for Transportation Studies and his explanations helped shed some light on how the project will be implemented, specifically in Manila.

Montalbo said once all the prep work is done, actual implementation of the BRT can be completed in one and a half to two years. He also said while construction of the terminals, lanes and bus stops may be disruptive, it’s lesser compared to the LRT and the Metro Railway Transit (MRT).

I talk about the BRT in light of this not-so-recent report on Davao City’s HPBS and if the Davao City government saw the viability of a bus transit system to service their commuters, then why do Cebu City officials hesitate in supporting the BRT and favor the LRT-subway project of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas which would take longer and be a lot more disruptive in terms of implementation?

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That is not to say that Davao City isn’t considering an LRT. But it certainly isn’t alone in pursuing a bus transit system since, aside from Cebu City, the BRT will also be implemented in Manila which is experiencing a traffic crisis of monumental proportions even if they have their LRT and MRT.

The LRT and MRT, by the way, are getting to be more expensive to maintain and operate as the years go by not only perhaps due to constant wear and tear but maybe due to inferior materials used for repairs and replacement parts.

Prof. Montalbo also explained in that same ANC report how the proposed BRT system will operate. He said existing bus operators will be given preference in servicing the BRT routes provided that they will operate high quality buses that will meet standards set by the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

Bus drivers will also be discouraged from making infrequent stops i.e. unloading and loading of passengers at any time and place within the BRT routes because the operators will be paid based on their output or the distance in kilometers that they’ve traveled rather than the number of passengers in their units.

That, for me, is one of the biggest concerns for buses or public utility vehicles (PUVs) more so for buses due to their size. But even if they’re smaller, passenger jeepneys cause as much disruption in traffic flow due to their penchant for loading and unloading passengers at the most inopportune time and place.

“(Under the BRT system) there will be no incentive for bad behavior,” Prof. Montalbo said. Aside from this, the proponents will constantly engage stakeholders who include the bus operators to ensure that the BRT will be effective in servicing their commuters.

Prof. Montalbo prefaced his argument for the BRT’s viability by saying that it will help remove the public’s bias against mass transport since it is geared towards customer satisfaction or treating passengers as customers.

“Private car users will see an attractive alternative … it is guided by a clear understanding of what users need. It is designed and intended for everyone,” he said.

At any rate, it would be quite a treat to see Prof. Montalbo debate with transport and engineering expert Rene Santiago, whose output was cited by Dino as justification for his pet LRT-subway project, on the merits of the BRT over LRT in Cebu City complete with visual/video presentations.