Osmeña hits ‘messy’ CBRT: Poor planning, PPP plan won’t work

Vice mayor says Cebu’s BRT was for people, not malls

Cebu Bus Rapid Transit along N. Bacalso Avenue as of June 2, 2024. | Photo credits: Cebu Ni Bai

CEBU CITY, Philippines — “No one lives in SM or Ayala.”

With that statement, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña took direct aim at what he calls the botched reconfiguration of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project, saying “it no longer serves the people of Cebu and instead appears to prioritize business interests.”

In a recent press conference, Osmeña slammed what he described as the “mess” the CBRT had become, accusing the current implementers of deviating from its original purpose, failing to incorporate key features, and now scrambling to convert the stalled project into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that, he said, would likely fail.

“God bless your soul, do PPP. I don’t see how it will work,” Osmeña said.

READ: World Bank warns PH officials over slow progress of Cebu BRT

The vice mayor, who originally conceptualized the CBRT over a decade ago during his term as mayor, said the BRT system was meant to solve Cebu’s worsening traffic congestion through efficient mass transport along a densely populated route, from Barangay Talamban in the north to Bulacao and Pardo in the south.

But the current version, he said, diverts away from those areas and heads to commercial zones like SM Seaside and Ayala Center Cebu.

“The original BRT was designed to serve people, not businesses,” he said. “People coming from Talamban to Cebu City, daghan (there are many). People coming from Pardo to Cebu City, daghan (there are many). But nobody lives in SM Seaside.”

Pedestrian overpass, port walkway, and Cobonpue design

Among Osmeña’s chief concerns is the apparent exclusion of pedestrian overpasses, which were part of the original BRT plan to ensure safe and efficient boarding at center-lane stations.

“Typical BRTs have central-lane stations with overhead pedestrian access. They’re built to be accessible for all, including the elderly and children,” Osmeña explained.

READ: Archival wants CBRT buses on the road by July

He also lambasted the inclusion of a pedestrian walkway to the Cebu Port, a component not in the original blueprint, which he dismissed as “impractical” since travelers from the port typically carry heavy luggage.

Osmeña further raised a red flag over the CBRT station designs, which were reportedly done by world-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

While Cobonpue no longer chairs the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Central Visayas, Osmeña said there might be conflict-of-interest concerns regarding how the design contract was awarded.

“I’d like to investigate how he got that contract,” he said.

Skepticism over PPP shift

Osmeña expressed doubt that shifting the CBRT to a public-private partnership would work, arguing that the project’s revised alignment was unattractive to potential investors.

“Investors will only come if they can profit. Good luck with that,” he said.

He stressed that PPPs require financially viable routes, something the new CBRT alignment allegedly lacked due to low ridership potential in areas like SRP.

READ: DOTr pushes PPP on regional airports

Still, he said he would be willing to let the implementation proceed to show that the plan was flawed.

Once it would fail, he said, the route could still be “realigned” or repurposed.

Osmeña emphasized the BRT’s adaptability, adding it could still accommodate parades and other public activities due to its lane-based setup.

World Bank: Project now high risk

Osmeña’s criticisms come just days after the World Bank released a report warning the Philippine government that the CBRT project was at high risk of failure.

In its July 1 Implementation Status & Results Report, the World Bank flagged the project’s slow pace, incomplete construction, and bureaucratic delays, saying that it might not meet its goals before the $141-million loan would expire in September 2026.

“The project will not be able to complete a substantial amount of balance activities within the current closing date,” the World Bank said.

The French Development Agency is also co-financing the CBRT, which officially broke ground in February 2023 under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The current construction phase, being handled by China’s Hunan Road and Bridge Construction Group Co. Ltd., covers a 2.38-kilometer stretch from the Cebu South Bus Terminal along N. Bacalso Ave. to the Provincial Capitol.

But Osmeña noted that even with civil works underway, the project lacked core components of a true BRT system.

“They don’t know how to do it,” he said. “There are many things wrong with it.”