Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino (right) called on Cebu City North District Representative Raul Del Mar (left) to unite for the implementation of the ‘improved’ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that the Department of Transportation presented last July 2019.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino called on Cebu City North District Representative Raul Del Mar to unite in pushing for the implementation of the ‘improved’ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Cebu.
In a press conference on Tuesday, September 3, Dino called on Del Mar to “set aside politics” in his insights on the changes pertaining to the BRT.
“Enough is enough. Congressman Raul Del Mar, with the BRT situation before, he never said anything. But now [that] we are in the home stretch, we are improving the BRT system, then he is making a lot of nonsense. I’m sorry to say but it is really nonsense,” Dino said.
CDN Digital reached out to Del Mar to get his side but the lawmaker has not issued a statement at the time of this writing.
In a privilege speech in Congress on August 27, Del Mar said any changes in the BRT would be detrimental to the Cebuanos.
Del Mar made the statement after the Department of Transportation released in July 2019 their revised version of the BRT project.
“That is a reduction in the total dedicated BRT length by almost 50 percent, from 23 kilometers to 13 kilometers,” Del Mar said referring to the route coverage of the BRT.
READ: Any change in the BRT route is ‘detrimental’ to Cebu City, Cebuanos – Del Mar
But DOTr Undersecretary Mark Richmund De Leon said they did not shorten the route but even “expanded” the BRT coverage which will include the feeder lines from Talamban to IT Park (5.68 kilometers), Talisay to Mambaling (7.55 kilometers) and Talisay to SRP (7.36 kilometers) which totals 34.43 kilometers.
The first phase of the BRT, which covers N. Bacalso Avenue near the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) up to the Cebu Provincial Capitol on N. Escario Street via Osmeña Boulevard, is due to be completed before the end of 2021.
READ: DOTr says 2021 target of Cebu BRT Phase 1 project on track
Dino also urged Del Mar to unite with them and support the steps taken by DOTr in addressing the transportation woes of Cebu.
“Palihug lang (Please) let’s help Cebu. Let’s make Cebu a livable city because right now, it is already about to burst because of our problems: baha (flood), basura (garbage), traffic, tubig (water),” said Dino.
“Let’s do something and let’s be serious. It’s about time. Please, let’s be united and have a real solution to our problems,” added Dino. / celr