The Mambaling access road leading to the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City needs to be widened. The need is “critical” before SM Seaside Complex opens later this year and the operation of the mall’s High Quality Public Transport System (HQPTS).
SM regional operations manager for the Visayas Sherry Tuvilla told the Cebu City Council in an executive session yesterday that the Mambaling access road was “critical” in the implementation of the HQPTS.
The HQPTS is a network of hybrid buses plying specific routes at the SRP, which has no public transport system at present. It is also seen to form part of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project which will be operational in mid 2018.
“Widening the Mambaling road, which currently has only two lanes per side, is criticial. We can run the HQPTS without widening the road but we should be expecting heavy traffic congestion,” Tuvilla said.
She suggested that the council move to convert the Mambaling road from a city road to a national road so the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 can come in.
The mall’s transport system is a “welcome endeavor,” said DPWH 7 planning and design section chief Engr. Nonato Paylado but he said approval is needed to get national funding to widen the one-kilometer access road.
However, Paylado said DPWH can’t finish this in time for the opening of SM Seaside Complex and the mall’s transport system. The HQPTS will have four routes: (1) Talisay-SRP-Mambaling and back, (2) North Bus Terminal-SM Cebu-downtown area-SM Seaside-Mambaling and back, (3) Talisay-SRP-downtown area-SM Cebu.
The fourth route will be an expressway from Talisay to the Mactan Cebu International Airport passing through SM Seaside City, Plaza Independencia and SM Cebu.