Senator Bam Aquino expressed support behind the planned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Cebu, saying it will serve as an “efficient, safe and modern transport model” that can help address the growing traffic problem in Cebu.

 “Aside from helping modernize and industrialize the transport system, the BRT will also open employment and other livelihood opportunities for Cebuanos,” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

 Recently, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) announced that would bid out the P10.6-billion BRT system by the second quarter of 2015. It will run a 23-kilometer corridor with 33 stations and 176 “high-quality” buses using green technology.

The senator also welcomed the DOTC’s plan to put up another BRT system in different parts of Metro Manila to help solve the perennial traffic woes in the area.

“The BRT could help alleviate the country’s traffic woes, which lead to a revenue loss of P2.4 billion every day, according to recent studies,” the senator said.

Aquino warned that revenue lost due to traffic will grow up to P6 billion a day by 2030 if solutions are not immediately implemented, based on a report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) released two months ago.

Aquino noted that several industrialized countries have already been implementing BRTs in densely populated areas to move people quicker and safer, helping them become more productive.

“The over two hundred (200) BRT systems worldwide have been very effective in reducing travel time by an average of 30 to 40 percent, giving our workers more time to work rather than spend quality time stuck in traffic,” the senator emphasized.

“Bringing efficient transportation solution will not only solve traffic but also result in development to the area,” he added.

Photo source: Rappler