SECURING national government support for the the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will be among the priorities of Rep. Tomas Osme帽a of Cebu City鈥檚 south district if he gets elected anew as Cebu City mayor this year.
鈥淭he (feasibility) study (that they already completed on the BRT) is not wasted unless somewhere along the way you decide not to implement that portion (of the project),鈥� Osme帽a said.
President Benigno Aquino III told local allies last year that the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) board which he chairs will have to temporarily set aside approval of the BRT project in order to clarify several concerns.
Aquino said the national government cannot gamble on an untested P10 billion project.
Osme帽a blames his successor, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, for failing to explain how the BRT project works before the NEDA board.
Social preparations
Osme帽a said fears of dislocation and the need for social preparations are also concerns which the city government should look into prior to implementing the project.
鈥淲hat will he (Rama) explain when he does not even know what he is talking about,鈥� Osme帽a said, referring to a taped video of the mayor鈥檚 State of the City Address (SOCA) in which he allegedly failed to explain what the BRT means.
Rama described Osme帽a鈥檚 claim as 鈥渦ndeserving of any comment.鈥�
He said he didn鈥檛 have any opportunity to make a presentation of the BRT to President Aquino.
Rama, who left the Bando Osme帽a-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) camp in 2011, said Osme帽a should have contacted him if he had suggestions on how to present the BRT system implementation.
Osme帽a said he will secure NEDA board approval on the project when be becomes Cebu City mayor anew.
He said the BRT can still be reintroduced on a smaller scale.
鈥淢any things don鈥檛 fly the first time around. You just have to present it again. Unless its a situation like the Mactan Airport transfer where in instead of a transfer the airport authority decided to built a new terminal,鈥� he said.
Osme帽a said he will have the BRT study reviewed so it can be implemented by segment.
Using data from a completed feasibility study, Osme帽a said he could pick an area like the Cebu Capitol to the Fuente Osme帽a circle as a pilot area for the BRT system so it can be seen by the public.
The proposed route is shorter and will cost less than the P10 billion estimated project cost.
If proven effective, Osme帽a said the BRT project can be expanded to other areas like barangays Guadalupe or Mabolo.
鈥淚f the system doesn鈥檛 work, sorry. But at least you are not gambling P10 billion. We can do a short section of the BRT. I can convince the president to do that,鈥� he said. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac