Tomas: CBRT changes prioritize ‘business over public service’

Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña criticized officials for sacrificing “public benefit for commercial interests” with the recent removal of a proposed bus station in front of the Capitol building. | Cebu Province/Facebook

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña criticized recent changes in the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) project design, accusing some government officials of sacrificing “public benefit for commercial interests.”

Osmeña made his statement following the removal of steel structures intended for the CBRT bus station in front of the Cebu Capitol building.

He argued that the revisions had compromised the CBRT’s primary purpose as a transit solution for the city’s commuters.

READ: Tomas Osmeña threatens to sue Gwen over stoppage of CBRT works

Osmeña, a long-time proponent of the Cebu BRT system, said recent modifications to the project’s design and route could severely limit its effectiveness.

He alleged that the recent removal of a planned bus station in front of the Capitol was due to “business adventure” motives rather than public service.

READ: Gwen to CBRT execs: Clear Osmeña Blvd. by week’s end or pay rent

Historic Site

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia had earlier raised her objections to the establishment of a bus station near the Capitol, citing heritage laws and the visual impact on the historic site.

On July 2, Garcia ordered the removal of steel structures intended for the CBRT’s Capitol station, claiming that these pose safety hazards and obstructed motorists.

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The Capitol, designated as a National Historical Landmark, has legal protections under the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), which prohibits construction that compromises its cultural integrity.

“She’s [Garcia’s] using a very flimsy excuse that the waiting shed is blocking the view of the Capitol building. If you go to the Capitol building, why doesn’t she cut down all the trees in front of the Capitol? I think they are blocking 80 percent of the view. Because why? She cannot make money out of that,” Osmeña said.

READ: Malacañang junks complaints against Gwen on Cebu BRT

Financial interests

He suggested that the Capitol station’s removal serves financial interests rather than heritage preservation.

In a report, Sugbo News said that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) had responded to Garcia’s demands, with CBRT Program Manager Benedicto Guia Jr. confirming the removal of the steel structures from Osmeña Boulevard on November 8.

Garcia’s claims on the need to preserve the Capitol’s heritage value was supported by other officials in a recent meeting that was also attended by World Bank representatives.

Osmeña warned that the revision of the project’s layout will weaken the CBRT’s safety and usability.

The current plan places waiting sheds along the roadside, requiring passengers to cross traffic lanes to access buses. This diverges from the original design, where bus stations would be located on a central island, allowing passengers to board safely from both sides.

Unsafe and impractical

“Right now, the way it’s designed is that you have to cross the street to go to the waiting shed, which is unsafe and impractical,” the former mayor said.

He noted that the central island layout is standard in successful BRT systems like those found in Brazil and Colombia.

Osmeña attributed these design changes to political interference, referring to the opposition raised by from former Presidential Assistant Michael Dino.  He also questioned why the CBRT’s new 12-kilometer route now favors commercial areas over residential neighborhoods in Talamban and Pardo.

He pointed out that the original route spanned 25 kilometers and was specifically intended to serve Cebu City’s residents rather than visitors to its commercial centers.

“Twenty years of work, and now we have a route that mainly connects commercial areas instead of serving the daily commuters who need it most,” he said.

Traffic congestion

Amid these concerns, Osmeña also addressed the broader issue of traffic congestion, countering claims by Cebu City Councilor James Cuenco that the CBRT could worsen traffic problems here.

“The BRT is designed to address the needs of people who don’t have cars. Let the cars go to the junkyard. If it’s as defective and as stupid as they’re going to implement it, we might as well get it because it’s for the future of Cebu,” he said.

Despite his criticisms, Osmeña acknowledged the importance of the CBRT’s completion, noting that a functioning transit system, even with flaws, would benefit the city and pave the way for future enhancements.

“Now, even when they’re trying to claim that it should be canceled because it’s blocking the view, so I think they’re trying to put their finger into the poor people of Cebu, the poor people of the Philippines, that’s what they’re getting now… But it’s also the people’s fault for voting this way,” he said.