Barriers for CBRT project to be removed in 48 hours — Garcia
Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and Engineer Norvin Imbong, CBRT project manager, inspects Osmeña Boulevard on Wednesday, where the separators/barriers were put up for the bus lane of the BRT project. | Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has ordered the removal of the separators/barriers for the bus lane of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project in the next 48 hours, starting Wednesday.
Garcia said the project’s contractor told him that when the bus lane would be operational, the barriers would be installed again.
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Garcia said—pointing to the inner lane of Osmeña Boulevard—that the contractor only wanted to show how the lane designated for buses would look once it became fully operational. Hence, the separators.
“Actually, wala gyuy private cars nga makasud diri or private vehicles. This (lane) is just for the bus. Hangyo lang sad sila (contractor) nga og magka duol-duol na, nga mahuman ug magoperate na gyud ang atong mga buses, then they will install it again,” Garcia told reporters.
(Actually, no private vehicles can enter here. This (lane) is just for the bus. The operator also appealed that when the CBRT project would be nearly completed and the buses can now operate, then they will install it again.)
To recall, this will be the second time that the barriers were ordered to be removed. The first one were concrete barriers, but it was ordered to be removed after concerns over safety were raised.
Garcia said that aside from the labor, no major resources would be wasted with the removal since the barriers were designed to be movable.
“Kung naa na gyud ang mga buses, makasabot na gyud [unya] ang mga tawo nga dili na gyud sila pwede musod ngari, hence, the need for the barrier,” Garcia said.
(If the buses would already be there, people would understand that they could not pass through the area, hence, the need for the barrier.)
Moreover, Garcia also apologized for those who got in an accident due to the barriers yesterday.
“You all know this is a national government project. Of course, we are the beneficiaries and we are also trying to help and assist them in any way we can as a local government kay kahibaw man ta nga kita’y beneficiary ani (because we know that we are the beneficiary here). It’s good nga (that) there is already a close coordination with the Cebu City government with this matter and maayo man sad sila kay mutuo man dayon sila sa atong mga suggestions and ideas (and they are also good because they will listen immediately to our suggestions and ideas),” Garcia added.
Once the barriers will be installed again, Garcia assured that they would be more visible in the evening with improved reflectorized paints.
Imbong assured that the contractor would agree to the removal, as long as there would be a proper request for it.
Imbong explained that the feature of the CBRT project included segregated lanes for north and south bounds.
“The moment nga butangan na siya og segregation, wala nay laing vehicle nga makasud diha, bus nalang gyud. Mao nang paspas na kaayo, makahibaw ka og kanus-a ka orasa maabot tungod kay ang bus naman lang sa tunga,” Imbong said.
(The moment that the segregation would be placed there, no vehicle can enter that area, only the bus can. That is why it would be faster, we will know when it will arrive because it will only be the bus in the middle.)
However, Imbong said that they could not provide a specific timeline when the bus lane would be fully operational, since the buses would be supplied through a public-private partnership.
He said that the procurement process had remained ongoing in Manila as of this time.
The first phase of the project was still targeted to be accomplished by March 5 as per the contractor, said Imbong.
Imbong assured that there would be notices informing that the bus lane could be used already once it would be operational.
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