Land use in BRT route open for review

Land use within the areas covered by the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route may be reviewed by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to update the feasibility study on the project.

Rafael Yap, Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) executive director, said there’s a need to reassess the BRT feasibility study that was completed two years ago.

The project was approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) this year, Yap said during yesterday’s “Knowledge Sharing Forum on Urban Transportation” at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) office.

“There’s a need to review the feasibility of the project particularly on land use like the number of buildings within the route. But it won’t be much since it hasn’t been far away since the study was done,” Yap said.

Earlier Fr. Dionisio Miranda, president of the University of San Carlos (USC), echoed the suggestion of the Movement for a Livable Cebu to change the BRT route to cater to densely populated areas like P. Del Rosario and Imus Streets.

Yap said while the proposal may be considered, chances are slim that the BRT route will be changed. He said if there is a need to change the route, proponents should give scientific and actual data and not just “anecdotes.”

During yesterday’s forum representatives of Business Sweden, the trade and investment council of Sweden shared to the group their SymbioCity initiative which is aimed at creating a sustainable mass transport system.

Business Sweden representative Carl Malmqvist said local governments should make public transport attractive as well as encourage walking and reduction of car use.

The delegation headed by Ambassador of Sweden to the Philippines Klas Molin, attended the forum after visiting Manila last week.